Genomically mined acoustic reporter genes for real-time in vivo monitoring of tumors and tumor-homing bacteria.

ABSTRACT: Ultrasound allows imaging at a much greater depth than optical methods, but existing genetically encoded acoustic reporters for in vivo cellular imaging have been limited by poor sensitivity, specificity and in vivo expression. Here we describe two acoustic reporter genes (ARGs)-one for use in bacteria and one for use in mammalian cells-identified through a phylogenetic screen of candidate gas vesicle gene clusters from diverse bacteria and archaea that provide stronger ultrasound contrast, produce non-linear signals distinguishable from background tissue and have stable long-term expression. Compared to their first-generation counterparts, these improved bacterial and mammalian ARGs produce 9-fold and 38-fold stronger non-linear contrast, respectively. Using these new ARGs, we non-invasiv

SUBMITTER: Hurt RC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10344784 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature