Takara Bicistronic lentiviral vector systems

Takara Lenti-X Bicistronic Lentiviral Vector Systems

Lenti-X bicistronic lentiviral vectors and expression systems enable stable delivery and expression of your gene of interest together with a coexpressed bright fluorescent protein or antibiotic selection marker in virtually any mammalian cell type.
Both proteins are produced from a single mRNA transcript, ensuring that your target protein is expressed in cells where the detectable marker is also present.

Product Overview

The Lenti-X Bicistronic Expression System is available in three different formats with expression vectors containing Neor, Hygr, or Puror markers.
Alternatively, you can coexpress your gene of interest with Living Colors fluorescent proteins such as mCherry, tdTomato, or ZsGreen1, using the following vectors:

• pLVX-IRES-mCherry
• pLVX-IRES-tdTomato
• pLVX-IRES-ZsGreen1

These bright fluorescent proteins serve as excellent reporters for gene expression or for measuring transduction/transfection efficiency.
mCherry is a popular mutant derived from mRFP1, a monomeric mutant of DsRed.

Simultaneous Expression of Two Proteins — How It Works

The key element of these bicistronic lentiviral vectors is an optimized internal ribosome entry site (IRES) that allows coexpression of your gene of interest and a second detectable protein from a single mRNA transcript.
While translation initiation in eukaryotic mRNAs typically occurs at the 5′ cap, the IRES recruits ribosomes to initiate translation at an internal site, resulting in simultaneous expression of both proteins from one bicistronic transcript.

Key Features

• Stable coexpression of two proteins from a single transcript
• Compatible with a wide range of mammalian cells
• Multiple selectable markers (Neor, Hygr, Puror)
• Bright fluorescent protein options for easy detection
• Efficient and reliable bicistronic expression via optimized IRES