Monitoring of spatial expression of firefly luciferase in transformed zebrafish

The firefly luciferase gene attached to the cytomegalovirus promoter was transferred into zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio) by microinjection of fertilized eggs. Light emission could be monitored in vivo in eggs and throughout the early development of the fish by low-light video-image analysis. Gene expression was transient in most of the cases lasting for about 2 weeks. This gene cassette proved to be a very convenient and nondestructive transformation marker and the firefly luciferase gene appears to be a powerful tool for real-time imaging of tissue-specific gene expression in transgenic fish.     

大鼠GluR2基因启动子控制的萤火虫荧光素酶表达载体的构建

目的构建大鼠GluR2基因启动子控制的萤火虫荧光素酶表达载体,并检测其在神经元中的表达。方法采用PCR方法获得GluR2基因启动子区目的片段（-298～＋283）,双酶切后插入到pGL3-Basic载体中构成重组表达载体,使萤火虫荧光素酶报告基因的表达受GluR2启动子控制。将构建的重组表达载体或pGL3-Basic载体分别与内参质粒pRL—CMV（表达海肾荧光素酶）共转染原代培养皮质神经元,24h后用双荧光检测试剂盒测定萤火虫荧光素酶及海肾荧光素酶活性。结果重组表达载体经双酶切及测序鉴定证明构建正确,该重组表达载体在神经元中特异性高表达萤火虫荧光素酶。结论成功构建大鼠GluR2基因启动子控制的萤火虫荧光素酶表达载体,并检测到该载体在神经元中的特异性表达。     

Expression and quantification of firefly luciferase under control of Rhizobium meliloti symbiotic promoters

We have tested the use of firefly luciferase for monitoring regulated symbiotic nitrogen fixation gene expression. Broad-host-range plasmids carrying translational fusions of Rhizobium meliloti nifH, fixA and nifA promoters were constructed. Despite low levels of promoter activity the absence of Escherichia coli endogenous luminescence and the high sensitivity of the bioluminescent assay for firefly luciferase allowed rapid screening for functional luciferase expression. Plasmids containing symbiotic promoter-luc fusions were established in R. meliloti. Luciferase activity was detected and measured in both vegetative and symbiotic cells giving comparable results with those obtained by beta-galactosidase assays. In addition, the luciferase assay was quicker, more sensitive and could be carried out with unrestricted cells. Furthermore, bioluminescence was high enough in alfalfa nodules containing nifH—luc fusion to be observed by a dark-adapted eye and photographed.     

Thermostabilization of protein A-luciferase fusion protein by single amino acid mutation

A gene expression plasmid, pMALU7, for coding a fusion protein between protein A (SpA) and mutated firefly luciferase (Luc), was constructed. The fused gene was expressed in Escherichia coli and the resulting protein (SpA-LucTS) was purified with affinity chromatography. By changing a single amino acid, from Glu to Lys at the position 354 in the luciferase moiety, the thermostability of luciferase was improved.     

Thein vivo pattern of firefly luciferase expression in transgenic plants

Expression of the firefly luciferase gene in transgenic plants produces light emission patterns when the plants are supplied with luciferin. We explored whether inin vivo pattern of light emission truly reveals the pattern of luciferase gene expression or whether it reflects other parameters such as the availability of the substrate, luciferin, or the tissue-specific distribution of organelles in which luciferase was localized. The tissue-specific distribution of luciferase activity and thein vivo pattern of light were examined when the luciferase gene was driven by different promoters and when luciferase was redirected from the peroxisome, where it is normally targeted, to the chloroplast compartment. It was found that the distribution of luciferase activity closely correlated with the tissue-specific pattern of luciferase mRNA. However, thein vivo light pattern appeared to reflect not only tissue-specific distribution of luciferase activity, but also the pattern of luciferin uptake.     

Quantitative analysis of luciferase activity of viral and hybrid promoters in bovine preimplantation embryos

This study was conducted to investigate quantitatively the luciferase activity of gene constructs with viral and hybrid enhancers and promoters in bovine preimplantation embryos by using firefly luciferase reporter genes. In Experiment I, to examine the stability of the luciferase, bioluminescence intensity of bovine embryos injected with the luciferase gene driven by the SV40 early promoter and enhancer (SVEluc) was measured with a luminometer at 2 days after microinjection. The results indicated that the bioluminescence could be analysed at any time within 30 min because the luciferase activity was constant during the measurement period from 5 to 30 min. In Experiment II, the luciferase expression of fertilized oocytes injected with four gene constructs (TKEluc, TK6WEluc, SVEluc, and Miwluc) was analysed by using a photon imaging system at 2 or 6 days following microinjection. The results from Experiment II indicated that the reporter gene governed by the Miw promoter (RSV LTR and chicken β-actin promoter) was expressed more intensively in bovine morulae and blastocysts than three other gene constructs. In Experiment III, the effect of SV40 enhancer was investigated when fused downstream to the luciferase cDNA of the Miwluc vector. The results showed that SV40 enhancer further activated the luciferase activity of the Miw promoter in bovine preimplantation embryos. It was concluded, therefore, that the Miw promoter together with the SV40 enhancer would confer the strongest expression of the firefly luciferase reporter gene among the gene constructs tested in preimplantation bovine embryos. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 49:368–373, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

AtLTP1 luciferase expression during carrot somatic embryogenesis

The carrot (Daucus carota L.) EP2 gene encodes a Lipid Transfer Protein (LTP) which is expressed during protoderm formation in developing embryos. To develop a vital reporter system for gene expression during somatic embryo development a 1.1 kB fragment of the Arabidopsis thaliana LTP1 promoter was fused to the firefly luciferase (LUC) coding sequence. The AtLTP1 luciferase expression pattern in transformed carrot suspension cultures was identical to the expression pattern of the endogenous carrot EP2 gene. Cell tracking experiments revealed that all somatic embryos were derived from AtLTP1 luciferase expressing cell clusters. However, not all cell clusters that expressed the AtLTP1 luciferase reporter gene developed into a somatic embryo, suggesting that initiation of an embryogenic pathway in tissue culture does not always lead to development of a somatic embryo.     

Firefly luciferase gene: structure and expression in mammalian cells.

The nucleotide sequence of the luciferase gene from the firefly Photinus pyralis was determined from the analysis of cDNA and genomic clones. The gene contains six introns, all less than 60 bases in length. The 5' end of the luciferase mRNA was determined by both S1 nuclease analysis and primer extension. Although the luciferase cDNA clone lacked the six N-terminal codons of the open reading frame, we were able to reconstruct the equivalent of a full-length cDNA using the genomic clone as a source of the missing 5' sequence. The full-length, intronless luciferase gene was inserted into mammalian expression vectors and introduced into monkey (CV-1) cells in which enzymatically active firefly luciferase was transiently expressed. In addition, cell lines stably expressing firefly luciferase were isolated. Deleting a portion of the 5'-untranslated region of the luciferase gene removed an upstream initiation (AUG) codon and resulted in a twofold increase in the level of luciferase expression. The ability of the full-length luciferase gene to activate cryptic or enhancerless promoters was also greatly reduced or eliminated by this 5' deletion. Assaying the expression of luciferase provides a rapid and inexpensive method for monitoring promoter activity. Depending on the instrumentation employed to detect luciferase activity, we estimate this assay to be from 30- to 1,000-fold more sensitive than assaying chloramphenicol acetyltransferase expression.     

Firefly luciferase as a reporter of regulated gene expression in higher plants

The firefly luciferase, assayedin vivo with a low-light video camera, acts as a non-invasive, real-time reporter of the temporal and spatial regulation of gene expression in single plants. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the luciferase assay in extracts of transformed plant tissue makes it a particularly useful marker in transient or stable transformation experiments.     

Construction and testing of an intron-containing luciferase reporter gene from<Emphasis Type="Italic">Renilla reniformis</Emphasis>

We describe a newRenilla reniformis luciferase reporter gene,RiLUC, which was designed to allow detection of luciferase activity in studies involvingAgrobacterium-based transient expression studies. TheRLUC gene was altered to contain a modified intron from the castor bean catalase gene while maintaining consensus eukaryotic splicing sites recognized by the plant spliceosome.RLUC andRiLUC reporter genes were fused to the synthetic plant SUPER promoter. Luciferase activity within agrobacteria containing the SUPER-RLUC construct increased during growth in culture. In contrast, agrobacteria harboring the SUPER-RiLUC gene fusion showed no detectable luciferase activity. Agrobacteria containing these gene fusions were cotransformed with a compatible normalization plasmid containing a cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter (CaMV) joined to the firefly luciferase coding region (FiLUC) and infused into tobacco leaf tissues through stomatal openings. The kinetics of luciferase production from theRLUC orRiLUC reporters were consistent, with expression of theRiLUC gene being limited to transiently transformed plant cells.RiLUC activity from the reporter gene fusions was measured transiently and within stably transformed tobacco leaf tissues. Analysis of stably transformed tobacco plants harboring either reporter gene fusion showed that the intron altered neither the levels of luciferase activity nor tissue-specific expression patterns driven by the SUPER promoter. These results demonstrate that theRiLUC reporter gene can be used to monitor luciferase expression in transient and stable transformation experiments without interference from contaminating agrobacteria.     

Stable RNA Interference in Spodoptera frugiperda Cells by a DNA Vector-based Method

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-mediated interference (RNAi) is a powerful tool for silencing of gene expression in many organisms. To establish a DNA vector-based method for stable RNAi in Spodoptera frugiperda cells (Sf9), we created a stably transfected Sf9 cell line to express large dsRNA fragment targeting to silence the firefly luciferase gene (luc). The luc dsRNA specifically and stably suppressed the baculovirus-mediated luciferase expression. Thus, gene silencing in Sf9 cells was achieved using DNA vectors similar to the facile design described in this study. Received 21 September 2005; Revisions requested 5 October 2005; Revisions received 22 November 2005; Accepted 25 November 2005     

HCVIRES介导萤火虫荧光素酶翻译的双顺反子载体的构建与在小鼠体内的表达

将HCVIRES插入双报告基因海肾荧光素酶 (Rluc)基因和萤火虫荧光素酶 (Fluc)基因之间 ,建立了“依赖帽子的扫描机制”翻译表达Rluc ,HCVIRES调控Fluc翻译的双顺反子表达载体pCI Rluc HCVIRES Fluc ,通过酶切反应及转染HepG2细胞鉴定双荧光素酶瞬间表达活性等试验 ,证实获得了表达双荧光素酶的双顺反子载体 .并应用水压转染法将双顺反子表达质粒导入小鼠体内 ,在小鼠肝脏检测到高水平表达的Rluc和Fluc .该研究成功构建一种HCVIRES介导萤火虫荧光素酶基因表达的双顺反子载体 ,并在HepG2细胞及小鼠体内进行了瞬时表达 ,为进一步建立稳定评价靶向HCVIRES药物作用的细胞及小动物模型研究奠定了基础     

L5 luciferase reporter mycobacteriophages: a sensitive tool for the detection and assay of live mycobacteria

Recombinant bacteriophages provide efficient delivery systems for introducing reporter genes into specific bacterial hosts. We have constructed mycobacteriophage L5 recombinants carrying the firefly luciferase gene inserted into the tRNA region of the phage genome. Infection of Mycobacterium smegmatis by these phages results in expression of the luciferase gene and light emission. Fortuitously, the luciferase gene is expressed continuously in lysogens surviving infection. Synthesis of luciferase from a mycobacterial promoter created by cloning enables the detection of extremely small numbers of M. smegmatis cells. These reporter phages can be used to discriminate between drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains of M. smegmatis, and may provide tools for the rapid identification and classification of antimycobacterial agents.     

生物素化荧光素酶的克隆表达及其固定化研究

为了在体内实现萤火虫荧光素酶的生物素酰化修饰,我们将大肠杆菌中编码生物素羧基载体蛋白（biotin carboxyl carrier protein,BCCP）C端87个氨基酸的功能域基因融合到萤火虫(Pyrocoelia pectoralis)荧光素酶cDNA的末端。经大肠杆菌生物素合成酶（biotin holoenzyme synthetase）的催化,生物素与BCCP上特定的赖氨酸（Lys）残基共价结合,由此与BCCP融合的萤火虫荧光素酶间接实现了生物素化的修饰。利用生物素与配体亲和素或链霉亲和素的特异性耦合,可以将荧光素酶固定到亲和素或链霉亲和素包被的磁珠上,从而使荧光检测的应用更加灵活和方便。本文将就生物素化荧光素酶的克隆、表达以及功能检测进行具体讨论。     

Dual luciferase assay system for rapid assessment of gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A new reporter system has been developed for quantifying gene expression in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The system relies on two different reporter genes, Renilla and firefly luciferase, to evaluate regulated gene expression. The gene encoding Renilla luciferase is fused to a constitutive promoter (PGK1 or SPT15) and integrated into the yeast genome at the CAN1 locus as a control for normalizing the assay. The firefly luciferase gene is fused to the test promoter and integrated into the yeast genome at the ura3 or leu2 locus. The dual luciferase assay is performed by sequentially measuring the firefly and Renilla luciferase activities of the same sample, with the results expressed as the ratio of firefly to Renilla luciferase activity (Fluc/Rluc). The yeast dual luciferase reporter (DLR) was characterized and shown to be very efficient, requiring approximately 1 minute to complete each assay, and has proven to yield data that accurately and reproducibly reflect promoter activity. A series of integrating plasmids were generated that contain either the firefly or Renilla luciferase gene preceded by a multi-cloning region in two different orientations and the three reading frames to make possible the generation of translational fusions. Additionally, each set of plasmids contains either the URA3 or LEU2 marker for genetic selection in yeast. A series of S288C-based yeast strains, including a two-hybrid strain, were developed to facilitate the use of the yeast DLR assay. This assay can be readily adapted to a high-throughput platform for studies requiring numerous measurements.     

食品级乳酸乳球菌pNZ8149-luc质粒的构建及表达

目的:构建能够稳定表达萤火虫荧光素酶报告基因(luc)的乳酸乳球菌(Lactococcus lactis, L.lactis)食品级表达系统,以便后续研究对目的基因进行示踪。方法:从pGL4.10质粒中PCR扩增萤火虫荧光素酶报告基因,测序,克隆至载体pNZ8149,构建pNZ8149-luc表达质粒;电击转化宿主乳酸乳球菌NZ3900,采用乳糖筛选法获得重组的乳酸乳球菌,Nisin诱导,采用微孔板发光检测仪检测荧光素酶的存在,Western Blot检测目标蛋白luc的表达。结果:PCR扩增的荧光素酶报告基因成功克隆至pNZ8149质粒,并电击转化宿主乳酸乳球菌NZ3900,得到乳酸乳球菌表达系统NZ3900/pNZ8149-luc。Nisin诱导后,检测到荧光素酶随诱导时间的延长活性逐渐增强,时间超过24 h之后荧光素酶活性逐渐下降。Western Blot检测到目标蛋白luc在胞内表达。结论:成功构建了p NZ8149-luc表达载体,并能够在乳酸乳球菌体内稳定表达。