Products from BPS Bioscience require a minimum order value above 400€Applications: Generate cell pools or stable cell lines expressing the MRE luciferase reporter following puromycin selection.
Background: Metal ions are important structural components of many enzymes and cofactors of enzymatic reactions. Essential metals include zinc, copper and iron. Zinc is a common co-factor of hydrolytic enzymes and a structural factor in proteins like zinc finger proteins, known to bind to more than 300 enzymes and 2000 transcription factors. It participates in responses to oxidative stress, DNA replication and repair, cell cycle, apoptosis and aging. It is crucial for the proper development of the brain, and tight control of its levels in the central neural system is essential. In vertebrates, zinc homeostasis is kept via the zinc-dependent regulation of the transcription of metallothioneins (MTs), scavengers of heavy metals that protect against oxidative stress, by the interaction of MTF-1 (MRE-binding transcription factor 1) with MREs (metal response element). MRE is the cis-acting DNA element that can be found in promoters of zing-regulated genes, and that binds MTF-1 and other zinc-related transcription factors. Dysregulation of metal levels in the organism can lead to pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease, with excess zinc linking to hyperphosphorylated tau aggregation. An understanding of the pathways and partners involved in metal stress regulation will bring benefits to patients suffering from zinc-related diseases.
Description: MRE Luciferase Reporter Lentiviruses (Heavy Metal Stress) are replication incompetent, HIV-based, VSV-G pseudotyped lentiviral particles that are ready to transduce nearly all types of mammalian cells, including primary and non-dividing cells. These viruses contain a firefly luciferase reporter driven by multiple copies of MRE (metal response elements) located upstream of the minimal TATA promoter, and a puromycin selection marker (Figure 1).After transduction, transcription mediated by MRE can be monitored by measuring luciferase activity.
Figure 1. Schematic of the lenti-vector used to generate the MRE Luciferase Reporter Lentivirus (Heavy Metal Stress).
Formulation: The lentivirus particles were produced from HEK293T cells. They are supplied in cell culture medium containing 90% DMEM + 10% FBS. Virus particles can be packaged in custom formulations by special request, for an additional fee.
Storage Stability: Lentiviruses are shipped with dry ice. For long-term storage, it is recommended to store the lentiviruses at -80°C. Avoid repeated freeze/thaw cycles. Titers can drop significantly with each freeze/thaw cycle.
Supplied As: Two vials (500 µl x 2) of lentivirus at a titer >107 TU/ml. The titer will vary with each lot; the exact value is provided with each shipment.
Warnings: Avoid freeze/thaw cycles
Biosafety Level: BSL-2
References: Giedroc D., et al., 2001 Antioxidants &Redox Signaling 3(4): 577-596.
Li Z., et al., 2023 Biomolecules 13(1):28.