Expression of a humanized viral 2A-mediated lux operon efficiently generates autonomous bioluminescence in human cells.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Expression of autonomous bioluminescence from human cells was previously reported to be impossible, suggesting that all bioluminescent-based mammalian reporter systems must therefore require application of a potentially influential chemical substrate. While this was disproven when the bacterial luciferase (lux) cassette was demonstrated to function in a human cell, its expression required multiple genetic constructs, was functional in only a single cell type, and generated a significantly reduced signal compared to substrate-requiring systems. Here we investigate the use of a humanized, viral 2A-linked lux genetic architecture for the efficient introduction of an autobioluminescent phenotype across a variety of human cell lines.

Methodology/principal findings

The

SUBMITTER: Xu T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4008522 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature