Hyperactive piggybac transposases

1. A non-human, transgenic animal whose genome comprises a nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein comprising at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:2, and comprising at least one of the following amino acid substitutions in SEQ ID NO:2: a serine for the alanine at position 46; a threonine for the alanine at position 46; a proline for the arginine at position 119; an alanine for the cysteine at position 125; a leucine for the cysteine at position 125; a lysine for the tyrosine at position 177; a histidine for the tyrosine at position 177; a leucine for the phenylalanine at position 180; an isoleucine for the phenylalanine at position 180; a valine for the phenylalanine at position 180; a leucine for the methionine at position 185; a glycine for the alanine at position 187; a tryptophan for the phenylalanine at position 200; a proline for the valine at position 207; a phenylalanine for the valine at position 209; a phenylalanine for the methionine at position 226; an arginine for the leucine at position 235; a lysine for the valine at position 240; a leucine for the phenylalanine at position 241; a lysine for the proline at position 243; a glutamine for the methionine at position 282; a tryptophan for the leucine at position 296; a tyrosine for the leucine at position 296; a phenylalanine for the leucine at position 296; a leucine for the methionine at position 298; an alanine for the methionine at position 298; a valine for the methionine at position 298; an isoleucine for the proline at position 311; a valine for the proline at position 311; a lysine for the arginine at position 315; a glycine for the threonine at position 319; an arginine for the tyrosine at position 327; a valine for the tyrosine at position 328; a glycine for the cysteine at position 340; a leucine for the cysteine at position 340; a histidine for the aspartic acid at position 421; an isoleucine for the valine at position 436; a tyrosine for the methionine at position 456; a phenylalanine for the leucine at position 470; a lysine for the serine at position 486; a leucine for the methionine at position 503; an isoleucine for the methionine at position 503; a lysine for the valine at position 552; or a threonine for the alanine at position 570, operably linked to a promoter, wherein the protein is expressed.

2. The non-human, transgenic animal according to claim 1 , whose genome further comprises an insertion site for an exogenous nucleic acid, wherein the insertion site is flanked by a first inverted repeat sequence comprising a sequence at least about 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:91 and/or a second inverted repeat sequence comprising a sequence at least about 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:92.

3. A method of integrating an exogenous nucleic acid into the genome of at least one cell of a multicellular or unicellular organism comprising administering directly to a cell of the organism:

a) a transposon comprising the exogenous nucleic acid, wherein the exogenous nucleic acid is flanked by a first inverted repeat sequence comprising a sequence at least about 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:91 and/or a second inverted repeat sequence comprising a sequence at least about 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:92; and

b) a protein, or RNA or DNA encoding the protein, to excise the exogenous nucleic acid from a plasmid, episome, or transgene and integrate the exogenous nucleic acid into the genome, wherein the protein comprises at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:2, and comprises at least one of the following amino acid substitutions in SEQ ID NO:2: a serine for the alanine at position 46; a threonine for the alanine at position 46; a proline for the arginine at position 119; an alanine for the cysteine at position 125; a leucine for the cysteine at position 125; a lysine for the tyrosine at position 177; a histidine for the tyrosine at position 177; a leucine for the phenylalanine at position 180; an isoleucine for the phenylalanine at position 180; a valine for the phenylalanine at position 180; a leucine for the methionine at position 185; a glycine for the alanine at position 187; a tryptophan for the phenylalanine at position 200; a proline for the valine at position 207; a phenylalanine for the valine at position 209; a phenylalanine for the methionine at position 226; an arginine for the leucine at position 235; a lysine for the valine at position 240; a leucine for the phenylalanine at position 241; a lysine for the proline at position 243; a glutamine for the methionine at position 282; a tryptophan for the leucine at position 296; a tyrosine for the leucine at position 296; a phenylalanine for the leucine at position 296; a leucine for the methionine at position 298; an alanine for the methionine at position 298; a valine for the methionine at position 298; an isoleucine for the proline at position 311; a valine for the proline at position 311; a lysine for the arginine at position 315; a glycine for the threonine at position 319; an arginine for the tyrosine at position 327; a valine for the tyrosine at position 328; a glycine for the cysteine at position 340; a leucine for the cysteine at position 340; a histidine for the aspartic acid at position 421; an isoleucine for the valine at position 436; a tyrosine for the methionine at position 456; a phenylalanine for the leucine at position 470; a lysine for the serine at position 486; a leucine for the methionine at position 503; an isoleucine for the methionine at position 503; a lysine for the valine at position 552; or a threonine for the alanine at position 570; and permitting integration of the exogenous nucleic acid into the at least one cell of the organism.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the protein of b) is administered as a nucleic acid encoding the protein.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the transposon and nucleic acid encoding the protein of b) are present on separate vectors.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein the transposon and nucleic acid encoding the protein of b) are present on the same vector.

7. The method according to claim 3 wherein the multicellular organism is a vertebrate.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the vertebrate animal is a mammal.

9. The method according to claim 3 wherein the administering is administering systemically.

10. The method according to claim 3 wherein the exogenous nucleic acid comprises a gene.

11. A method of generating a non-human, transgenic animal comprising a germline mutation comprising:

breeding a first non-human, transgenic animal whose genome comprises a transposon with a second non-human, transgenic animal whose cells comprise a vector comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a protein comprising at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:2, and comprising at least one of the following amino acid substitutions in SEQ ID NO:2: a serine for the alanine at position 46; a threonine for the alanine at position 46; a proline for the arginine at position 119; an alanine for the cysteine at position 125; a leucine for the cysteine at position 125; a lysine for the tyrosine at position 177; a histidine for the tyrosine at position 177; a leucine for the phenylalanine at position 180; an isoleucine for the phenylalanine at position 180; a valine for the phenylalanine at position 180; a leucine for the methionine at position 185; a glycine for the alanine at position 187; a tryptophan for the phenylalanine at position 200; a proline for the valine at position 207; a phenylalanine for the valine at position 209; a phenylalanine for the methionine at position 226; an arginine for the leucine at position 235; a lysine for the valine at position 240; a leucine for the phenylalanine at position 241; a lysine for the proline at position 243; a glutamine for the methionine at position 282; a tryptophan for the leucine at position 296; a tyrosine for the leucine at position 296; a phenylalanine for the leucine at position 296; a leucine for the methionine at position 298; an alanine for the methionine at position 298; a valine for the methionine at position 298; an isoleucine for the proline at position 311; a valine for the proline at position 311; a lysine for the arginine at position 315; a glycine for the threonine at position 319; an arginine for the tyrosine at position 327; a valine for the tyrosine at position 328; a glycine for the cysteine at position 340; a leucine for the cysteine at position 340; a histidine for the aspartic acid at position 421; an isoleucine for the valine at position 436; a tyrosine for the methionine at position 456; a phenylalanine for the leucine at position 470; a lysine for the serine at position 486; a leucine for the methionine at position 503; an isoleucine for the methionine at position 503; a lysine for the valine at position 552; or a threonine for the alanine at position 570 operably linked to a promoter; and

expressing the protein such that the transposon is inserted into the genome of the organism,

wherein an organism with a germline mutation is produced.

12. A method of generating a non-human, transgenic animal comprising: introducing a nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein into non-human animal cell; wherein the protein comprises at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:2, and comprises at least one of the following amino acid substitutions in SEQ ID NO:2: a serine for the alanine at position 46; a threonine for the alanine at position 46; a proline for the arginine at position 119; an alanine for the cysteine at position 125; a leucine for the cysteine at position 125; a lysine for the tyrosine at position 177; a histidine for the tyrosine at position 177; a leucine for the phenylalanine at position 180; an isoleucine for the phenylalanine at position 180; a valine for the phenylalanine at position 180; a leucine for the methionine at position 185; a glycine for the alanine at position 187; a tryptophan for the phenylalanine at position 200; a proline for the valine at position 207; a phenylalanine for the valine at position 209; a phenylalanine for the methionine at position 226; an arginine for the leucine at position 235; a lysine for the valine at position 240; a leucine for the phenylalanine at position 241; a lysine for the proline at position 243; a glutamine for the methionine at position 282; a tryptophan for the leucine at position 296; a tyrosine for the leucine at position 296; a phenylalanine for the leucine at position 296; a leucine for the methionine at position 298; an alanine for the methionine at position 298; a valine for the methionine at position 298; an isoleucine for the proline at position 311; a valine for the proline at position 311; a lysine for the arginine at position 315; a glycine for the threonine at position 319; an arginine for the tyrosine at position 327; a valine for the tyrosine at position 328; a glycine for the cysteine at position 340; a leucine for the cysteine at position 340; a histidine for the aspartic acid at position 421; an isoleucine for the valine at position 436; a tyrosine for the methionine at position 456; a phenylalanine for the leucine at position 470; a lysine for the serine at position 486; a leucine for the methionine at position 503; an isoleucine for the methionine at position 503; a lysine for the valine at position 552; or a threonine for the alanine at position 570, operably linked to a promoter;

permitting the animal cell containing the nucleic acid molecule to develop into a non-human transgenic animal whose cells comprise the nucleic acid molecule,

wherein the nucleic acid molecule is expressed to induce transposon insertion.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the cell is a somatic cell followed by nucleus transfer.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the cell is a germ cell.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the step of introducing a nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein into a cell is accomplished by pronuclear injection of a fertilized oocyte.

16. The method according to claim 12 , wherein

the cell is an oocyte, embryonic cell, or stem cell; and

wherein the step of introducing a nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein into a cell is accomplished by pronuclear injection of an oocyte.

17. A method of establishing germline transmission of a mutation in a non-human, transgenic animal comprising:

a) introducing a first and second isolated nucleic acid sequence into an oocyte or embryo of a non-human, transgenic animal;

wherein the first isolated nucleic acid sequence encodes a protein comprising at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:2, and comprising at least one of the following amino acid substitutions in SEQ ID NO:2: a serine for the alanine at position 46; a threonine for the alanine at position 46; a proline for the arginine at position 119; an alanine for the cysteine at position 125; a leucine for the cysteine at position 125; a lysine for the tyrosine at position 177; a histidine for the tyrosine at position 177; a leucine for the phenylalanine at position 180; an isoleucine for the phenylalanine at position 180; a valine for the phenylalanine at position 180; a leucine for the methionine at position 185; a glycine for the alanine at position 187; a tryptophan for the phenylalanine at position 200; a proline for the valine at position 207; a phenylalanine for the valine at position 209; a phenylalanine for the methionine at position 226; an arginine for the leucine at position 235; a lysine for the valine at position 240; a leucine for the phenylalanine at position 241; a lysine for the proline at position 243; a glutamine for the methionine at position 282; a tryptophan for the leucine at position 296; a tyrosine for the leucine at position 296; a phenylalanine for the leucine at position 296; a leucine for the methionine at position 298; an alanine for the methionine at position 298; a valine for the methionine at position 298; an isoleucine for the proline at position 311; a valine for the proline at position 311; a lysine for the arginine at position 315; a glycine for the threonine at position 319; an arginine for the tyrosine at position 327; a valine for the tyrosine at position 328; a glycine for the cysteine at position 340; a leucine for the cysteine at position 340; a histidine for the aspartic acid at position 421; an isoleucine for the valine at position 436; a tyrosine for the methionine at position 456; a phenylalanine for the leucine at position 470; a lysine for the serine at position 486; a leucine for the methionine at position 503; an isoleucine for the methionine at position 503; a lysine for the valine at position 552; or a threonine for the alanine at position 570; and

wherein the second isolated nucleic acid sequences encodes a transposon comprising an exogenous nucleic acid sequence, wherein the exogenous nucleic acid sequence is flanked by a first inverted repeat sequence comprising a sequence at least about 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:91 and/or a second inverted repeat sequence comprising a sequence at least about 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:92; and

b) expressing the first nucleic acid sufficiently to induce insertion of the exogenous nucleic acid sequence contained in the second nucleic acid, thereby producing a non-human, transgenic animal whose genome comprises the exogenous nucleic acid.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first isolated nucleic acid sequence is an RNA.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first isolated nucleic acid sequence is a DNA.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of introducing the first and second isolated nucleic acid sequence into an oocyte or embryo of a non-human, transgenic animal comprises pronuclear injection or transfection.

21. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first isolated nucleic acid sequence encodes a protein comprising at least 99% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:2.

22. The method of claim 3 , wherein the protein comprises at least 99% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:2.

23. The method of claim 11 , wherein the protein comprises at least 99% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:2.

24. The method of claim 12 , wherein the protein comprises at least 99% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:2.