title: Firefly luciferase as the reporter for transcriptional response to the environment in Escherichia coli.
abstract: We demonstrate that firefly luciferase is a good reporter in Escherichia coli for transcription dynamics in response to the environment. E. coli strains, carrying a fusion of the promoter of the ycgZ gene and the coding region of the luciferase gene, showed transient bioluminescence on receiving blue light. This response was compromised in mutants lacking known regulators in manners consistent with each regulator's function. We also show that relA, a gene encoding a (p)ppGpp synthetase, affects ycgZ dynamics when nullified. Moreover, two unstable luciferase variants showed improved response dynamics and should be useful to study quick changes of gene expression.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ryo
authors.forename: Yuta
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oshikoshi
authors.forename: Shosei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doi
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Motoki
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Niimi
authors.forename: Setsuyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aoki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D048888:Fireflies / Q000201:enzymology*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D008027:Light; D049409:Luciferases, Firefly / Q000235:genetics*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D049409:Luciferases, Firefly
keywords: Firefly luciferase; Reporter gene; Transcription dynamics; ycg genes