BIFUNCTIONAL SELECTABLE FUSION GENES

• Main Author: LUPTON, STEPHEN, D
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 22.10.1997
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL ORENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES; CULTURE MEDIA; ENZYMOLOGY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEICACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; SPIRITS; VINEGAR; WINE

The invention provides selectable fusion genes comprising a dominant positive selectable gene fused to and in reading frame with a negative selectable gene. The selectable fusion gene encodes a single bifunctional fusion protein which is capable of conferring a dominant positive selectable phenotype and a negative selectable phenotype on a cellular host. A dominant positive selectable phenotype is conferred, for example, by the hph gene for hygromycin B resistance (Hm). A dominant negative selectable phenotype is conferred, for example, by the HSV-I TK gene for gansiclovir sensitivity (GCV). The present invention also provides recombinant expression vectors, for example, retroviral vectors, which include selectable fusion genes, and cells transduced with the recombinant expression vectors. The bifunctional selectable fusion genes are expressed and regulated as a single genetic entity, permitting co-regulation and co-expression with a high degree of efficiency.