Blasticidin S-resistance gene (bsr): a novel selectable marker for mammalian cells.
Blasticidin S is a microbial antibiotic that inhibits protein synthesis in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The blasticidin S-resistance gene (bsr), isolated from Bacillus cereus K55-S1 strain, was inserted into pSV2 plasmid vector and introduced into cultured mammalian cells by transfection. The bsr gene was integrated into the genome and conferred blasticidin S resistance on HeLa cells. The transfection frequency of the bsr gene was as high as that of the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene, the so-called neo gene, which is a representative selectable marker for mammalian cells. Transfectants in which several copies of bsr had been integrated into the genome were highly resistant to blasticidin S. Furthermore, blasticidin S killed the cells more rapidly than G418, which is conventionally used as a selective drug for the neo gene. Thus bsr is concluded to be useful as a drug-resistance marker for mammalian cells.
Izumi
M
M
Cellular Physiology, Laboratory RIKEN Institute, Saitama, Japan.
Miyazawa
H
H
Kamakura
T
T
Yamaguchi
I
I
Endo
T
T
Hanaoka
F
F
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D009705:Nucleosides / Q000494:pharmacology; D010957:Plasmids; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D014162:Transfection
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005819:Genetic Markers; D009705:Nucleosides; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; C004500:blasticidin S