Aj. Forsberg et al., USE OF TRANSCRIPTIONAL FUSIONS TO MONITOR GENE-EXPRESSION - A CAUTIONARY TALE, Journal of bacteriology, 176(7), 1994, pp. 2128-2132
Gene fusions are frequently used to facilitate studies of gene express
ion and promoter activity. We have found that certain reporter genes,
can, themselves, influence promoter activity. For example, the commonl
y used luxAB reporter genes can activate or repress transcription from
a subset of promoters, generating data apparently at odds with those
obtained with other reporter genes. These effects are probably related
to an intrinsically curved DNA segment in the 5' coding sequence of t
he luxA gene. Thus, caution must be observed when one is interpreting
results obtained with a single reporter gene system such as luxAB.