Four firefly luciferase reporter vectors.

• Four Reporter Vectors That Contain luc+, a Modified Firefly Luciferase Gene
• Unique NcoI site located at 5´ end of luc+ gene will create fusions with reporter gene
• SmaI site in the MCS means blunt-ended inserts can be ligated into the MCS and cut on either side by other restriction endonucleases
• XbaI site just downstream of luc+ gene facilitates insertions into the 3´ untranslated region of mRNA or subcloning of the luciferase gene

The pGL3 Luciferase Reporter Vectors provide a basis for the quantitative analysis of factors that potentially regulate mammalian gene expression. These may be cis- or trans-acting factors. The backbone of the pGL2 Luciferase Reporter Vectors was redesigned for the pGL3 Vectors for increased expression, with a modified coding region for firefly (Photinus pyralis) luciferase that has been optimized for monitoring transcriptional activity in transfected eukaryotic cells. The assay of this genetic reporter is rapid, sensitive and quantitative. In addition, the Luciferase Reporter Vectors contain numerous features aiding in the structural characterization of the putative regulatory sequences under investigation. For the most advanced reporter vectors and widest selection of features, please see the pGL4 series of vectors.

The specific transcriptional characteristics of the pGL3 Vectors will vary for different cell types. This may be particularly true for COS cells, which contain the SV40 large T antigen that promotes replication from the SV40 origin found in the promoter of the pGL3-Promoter and pGL3-Control Vectors. The combination of the large T antigen and the SV40 origin results in a higher copy number of these vectors in COS cells, which in turn may result in increased expression of the reporter gene compared to other cell and vector combinations.

The backbone of the pGL2 Luciferase Reporter Vectors was redesigned for the pGL3 Vectors for increased expression with a modified coding region for firefly (Photinus pyralis) luciferase that has been optimized for monitoring transcriptional activity in transfected eukaryotic cells. The assay of this genetic reporter is rapid, sensitive, and quantitative. In addition, the Luciferase Reporter Vectors contain numerous features aiding in the structural characterization of the putative regulatory sequences under investigation.