Ferritin reporter used for gene expression imaging by magnetic resonance.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a minimally invasive way to provide high spatial resolution tomograms. However, MRI has been considered to be useless for gene expression imaging compared to optical imaging. In this study, we used a ferritin reporter, binding with biogenic iron, to make it a powerful tool for gene expression imaging in MRI studies. GL261 mouse glioma cells were over-expressed with dual-reporter ferritin-DsRed under beta-actin promoter, then gene expression was observed by optical imaging and MRI in a brain tumor model. GL261 cells expressing ferritin-DsRed fusion protein showed enhanced visualizing effect by reducing T2-weighted signal intensity for in vitro and in vivo MRI studies, as well as DsRed fluorescence for optical imaging. Furthermore, a higher contrast was achieved on T2-weighted images when permeating the plasma membrane of ferritin-DsRed-expressing GL261. Thus, a ferritin expression vector can be used as an MRI reporter to monitor in vivo gene expression.
Ono
Kenji
K
Department of Brain Functions, Division of Stress Adaptation and Protection, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan.
Fuma
Kazuya
K
Tabata
Kaori
K
Sawada
Makoto
M
D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005293:Ferritins / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D051379:Mice; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic
D000199:Actins; D005293:Ferritins