Development of a HepG2 cell line expressing the transmembrane protein of Jaagsiekte retrovirus

To study the relationship between jaagsiekte retrovirus (JSRV) transmembrane protein (TM) and the pathogenesis of ovine pulmonary adenomatosis (OPA), a HepG2 cell line expressing the TM of JSRV was developed. The coding region of tm gene was amplified with an HA tag by PCR, and was cloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.1(+). The resulting recombinant plasmid was transfected into HepG2 cells and selected under the G418. A positive cells which stable expression of JSRV TM was selected and purified. The cells expression of JSRV TM was confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence assay and western blot. This cell line provides a useful platform for studies on JSRV in vitro.