title: Using translational enhancers to increase transgene expression in Drosophila.
abstract: The ability to specify the expression levels of exogenous genes inserted in the genomes of transgenic animals is critical for the success of a wide variety of experimental manipulations. Protein production can be regulated at the level of transcription, mRNA transport, mRNA half-life, or translation efficiency. In this report, we show that several well-characterized sequence elements derived from plant and insect viruses are able to function in Drosophila to increase the apparent translational efficiency of mRNAs by as much as 20-fold. These increases render expression levels sufficient for genetic constructs previously requiring multiple copies to be effective in single copy, including constructs expressing the temperature-sensitive inactivator of neuronal function Shibire(ts1), and for the use of cytoplasmic GFP to image the fine processes of neurons.
authors.affiliation: Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA.
authors.forename: Barret D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Truman
authors.forename: Gerald M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Rubin
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D012333:RNA, Messenger