Ch. Contag et al., VISUALIZING GENE-EXPRESSION IN LIVING MAMMALS USING A BIOLUMINESCENT REPORTER, Photochemistry and photobiology, 66(4), 1997, pp. 523-531
Control of gene expression often involves an interwoven set of regulat
ory processes. As information regarding regulatory pathways may be los
t in ex vivo analyses, we used bioluminescence to monitor gene express
ion in living mammals, Viral promoters fused to firefly luciferase as
transgenes in mice allowed external monitoring of gene expression both
superficially and in deep tissues, In vivo bioluminescence was detect
able using either intensified or cooled charge-coupled device cameras,
and could be detected following both topical and systemic delivery of
substrate, In vivo control of the promoter from the human immunodefic
iency virus was demonstrated, As a model for DNA-based therapies and v
accines, in vivo transfection of a luciferase expression vector (SV-40
promoter and enhancer controlling expression) was detected. We conclu
de that gene regulation, DNA delivery and expression can now be noninv
asively monitored in living mammals using a luciferase reporter, Thus,
real-time, noninvasive study of gene expression in living animal mode
ls for human development and disease is possible.