Production of exogenous proteins in egg whites of transgenic chickens
View Patent ↗This invention provides for proteins which are expressed in the avian oviduct, packaged into eggs laid by the avian, then isolated.
1. A method comprising: obtaining an egg from a germline transgenic chicken wherein the chicken contains a transgene derived from replication-deficient avian leukosis virus in its genome encoding an exogenous protein which is expressed in oviduct cells and deposited in egg white of the egg at a detectable level; and isolating the exogenous protein from the egg white of the egg.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the exogenous protein is a pharmaceutical protein.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the exogenous protein is selected from the group consisting of antitrypsin, antithrombin III, collagen, factor VIII, factor IX, factor X, fibrinogen, insulin, lactoferrin, protein C, tissue-type plasminogen activator, somatotrophin, cytokine, antibody, human growth hormone, immunotoxin and chymotrypsin.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the chicken is an offspring of a germ-line founder.
5. A method comprising: obtaining an egg from a germline transgenic chicken wherein the chicken contains a transgene derived from replication-deficient avian leukosis virus in its genome encoding a pharmaceutical protein which is expressed in oviduct cells and deposited in egg white of the egg at a detectable level; and isolating the pharmaceutical protein from the egg white of the egg.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the protein is selected from the group consisting of antitrypsin, antithrombin III, collagen, factor VIII, factor IX, factor X, fibrinogen, insulin, lactoferrin, protein C, tissue-type plasminogen activator, somatotrophin, cytokine, antibody, human growth hormone, immunotoxin and chymotrypsin.
7. A method comprising: obtaining an egg from a germline transgenic chicken wherein the transgenic chicken contains transgenic DNA derived from replication-deficient avian leukosis virus in its genome encoding an antibody which is expressed in oviduct cells and deposited in egg white of the egg at a detectable level; and isolating the antibody from egg white of the egg.
8. A method comprising: obtaining an egg from a germline transgenic chicken wherein the transgenic chicken contains a transgene derived from replication-deficient avian leukosis virus in its genome encoding a cytokine which is expressed in oviduct cells and deposited in egg white of the egg at a detectable level; and isolating the cytokine from the egg white of the egg.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the cytokine is granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF).
10. The method of claim 8 wherein the cytokine is granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF).
11. The method of claim 8 wherein the cytokine is erythropoietin.
12. The method of claim 8 wherein the cytokine is interferon.
13. A method comprising: obtaining an egg from a germline transgenic chicken wherein the transgenic chicken contains a transgene derived from replication-deficient avian leukosis virus in its genome encoding an immunotoxin which is expressed in oviduct cells and deposited in egg white of the egg at a detectable level; and isolating the immunotoxin from the egg white of the egg.