GREEN MICE AS A SOURCE OF UBIQUITOUS GREEN CELLS

The green fluorescent protein (GFP) is responsible for the green biolu minescence of the jellyfish Aequorea victoria. Many classes of GFP mut ants exist that display modified fluorescence spectra and an increased extinction coefficient. We produced transgenic mouse lines with an 'e nhanced' GFP (EGFP) cDNA under the control of a chicken beta-actin pro moter and cytomegalovirus enhancer, All of the tissues from these tran sgenic lines, with the exception of erythrocytes and hair, were green under excitation light. The fluorescent nature of the cells from these transgenic mouse lines would facilitate their use in many kinds of ce ll transplantation experiments. (C) 1997 Federation of European Bioche mical Societies.