As functional genetics and biotechnology evolve, there is a constantly increasing need to simultaneously induce and assess the effect of multiple genes of interest. Of course, one can envisage introducing each genetic modification in a living system one-by-one to obtain the desired cellular model. However, limitations due to available selection markers can rapidly impede such a strategy, which, in itself, remains tedious and resource-consuming.
There are real advantages, therefore, both technical and scientific, in introducing several transgenes at once into a cellular model.
IRES and 2A-like peptide sequences are two existing tools that allow dual expression of proteins from a single transcript. Of course, e-Zyvec’s vectors can also be assembled to contain such sequences.
However, e-Zyvec’s technology can be used to create vectors containing multiple complete expression cassettes (promotors + ORF + terminators), each cassette being completely customisable within the vector. This allows each transgene expression to be controlled independently by picking the appropriate promoter (artificial or natural).
There is a tremendous range of possible applications of our technology. Some examples of vectors we have designed include:
- Engineering of metabolic pathways,
- Visualization of subcellular compartments,
- Combination of inductive (cDNA) and repressive (shRNA) cassettes.