Piecing together more efficient gene expression

• Published in: Nature biotechnology Vol. 17; no. 3; pp. 224 - 225
• Main Authors: Somia, Nikunj V, Kafri, Tal, Verma, Inder M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.03.1999
• Subjects: Cytomegalovirus - genetics; Gene Expression Regulation; Genetic Engineering; Genetic Therapy; Genetic Vectors; Humans; Models, Biological; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Tetracycline - metabolism
• ISSN: 1087-0156; 1546-1696
• DOI: 10.1038/6962

The eukaryotic cell has evolved exquisite control of gene expression at many different levels. One of the more important control points is at the level of transcription of a gene into an RNA message. Luckily for the genetic engineer, the components that control this process are modular in nature, which facilitates both their analysis and their manipulation. These features are particularly important for the biotechnologist, as the ability to control gene expression specifically and meticulously is crucial for many applications. It is critical not only for the production of biological drugs and therapeutic proteins in bacteria, yeast, and mammalian cells, but also for the field of gene therapy, where the goal is to bypass completely such "middle-organisms" and deliver the gene and its product directly to the patient. In this issue, Robert Schwartz and colleagues describe an approach to evolve more effective muscle-specific transcription promoters by mixing and matching operator elements from four distinct muscle-specific promoters. They succeeded in creating synthetic promoters that are eightfold more effective than the corresponding natural promoters, both in vitro and in vivo. This approach to novel promoter construction should prove to be a useful new tool to enhance tissue-specific expression for both therapeutic and transgenic applications.