Fish as bioreactors:: Transgene expression of human coagulation factor VII in fish embryos

A plasmid containing human coagulation factor VII (hFVII) complementary DNA regulated by a cytomegalovirus promoter was microinjected into fertilized eggs of zebrafish, African catfish, and tilapia. The active form of hFVII was detected in the fish embryos by various assays. This positive expression of human therapeutic protein in fish embryos demonstrates the possibility of exploitation of transgenic fish as bioreactors.