Phage T4 expression vector: protection from proteolysis.
We have developed an efficient method for the expression of heterologous genes during infection by T4, a bacteriophage known to inhibit the proteolytic systems of Escherichia coli. This system enables us to clone genes in a plasmid expression vector and move them readily into T4. We have used lacZ as a reporter gene to show that both plasmid and phage exhibit low basal expression or high-level expression under the control of a T7 promoter. This system promises a possible solution to the problem of degradation and/or toxicity of overproduced proteins.
Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309.
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D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D005814:Genes, Viral; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006868:Hydrolysis; D010957:Plasmids; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D013604:T-Phages / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic