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Green fluorescent protein as a marker in transgenic mice
Author(s) -
Ikawa Masahito,
Kominami Katsuya,
Yoshimura Yasuhide,
Tanaka Keiichi,
Nishimune Yoshitake,
Okabe Masaru
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
development, growth and differentiation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.864
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1440-169X
pISSN - 0012-1592
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-169x.1995.t01-2-00012.x
Subject(s) - green fluorescent protein , transgene , fluorescence , genetically modified mouse , aequorea victoria , fluorescence microscope , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , gene , biochemistry , physics , quantum mechanics
Green fluorescent protein (GFP) found in Aequorea victoria absorbs blue light and emits green fluorescence without exogenous substrates or co‐factors. We studied the possibility of using the GFP as a marker in mammals. Transgenic mice were produced using the GFP coding sequence, ligated with the chicken beta‐actin promoter. Green fluorescence was observed in muscle, pancreas, kidney, heart and other organs in all the three transgenic mouse lines. Detection of the transgenic mouse was possible by observing a tail or fingers of new born pups under a fluorescent microscope. The marker also enabled us to detect localized expression of the transgene in intact tissues without preliminary steps. It was also demonstrated that the GFP expression could be quantified by measuring the fluorescence in tissue extracts.