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Firefly Luciferase Engineered for Improved Genetic Reporting
Bruce A. Sherf and Keith V. Wood
Promega Corporation
Although firefly luciferase is widely popular as a reporter of
genetic function, the structure of the native enzyme and its encoding cDNA are not
necessarily optimal for unbiased expression in foreign hosts. To create a genetic reporter
more generally suitable and convenient for diverse applications, we have designed a
modified form of the luciferase gene, designated luc+, which contains multiple new
features. Chief among these is removal of the peroxisomal translocation sequence to yield
a cytoplasmic form of the enzyme. Other changes include removal of potentially interfering
restriction sites and genetic regulatory sites from the gene, improvement of the codon
usage for mammalian cells, and elimination of consensus glycosylation sites from the
enzyme. A related gene, luc+NF, has also been developed to allow optimal creation
of N-terminal fusion proteins.
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