%0 Journal Article
%T High-level gene expression in Aedes albopictus cells using a baculovirus Hr3 enhancer and IE1 transactivator
%A Christine E Gray
%A Craig J Coates
%J BMC Molecular Biology
%D 2004
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1471-2199-5-8
%X Expression plasmids utilizing three heterologous promoters and three heterologous enhancers, in all possible combinations, were tested. The Hr3/IE1 enhancer-transactivator in combination with each of the constitutive heterologous promoters tested increased reporter gene expression significantly in transiently transfected Aedes albopictus C7-10 cells.The addition of the Hr3 enhancer to expression cassettes and concomitant expression of the IE1 transactivator gene product is a potential method for increasing the level of transgene expression in insect systems. This mechanism could also potentially be used to increase the level of transiently-expressed transposase in order to increase the number of integration events in transposon-mediated transformation experiments.Through the efforts of many individuals in the past few years, it has become possible to genetically transform a wide variety of non-drosophilid insects of medical and agricultural importance [1]. The ability to genetically transform mosquito species allows researchers to better understand mechanisms of vector competence, design novel methods to disrupt vector-pathogen relationships and develop new insect control strategies [2-5]. New molecular methods could potentially augment continued traditional efforts to control malaria and other re-emerging arthropod-borne diseases. Similar approaches may also be used to stem the devastating infestation of economically important crops by insecticide-resistant pest strains.Mosquitoes transmit to humans some of the most debilitating and deadly diseases known. According to the World Health Organization, malaria alone is responsible for one million deaths annually [6]. Additionally, the transmission of yellow fever, dengue fever, West Nile virus and a variety of other encephalitis viruses permanently disrupt or end untold numbers of lives. Both anopheline [7-10] and culicine [11-17] mosquito species have been successfully transformed. In all cases, the process is labor-i
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2199/5/8