Influence of the reporter vector backbone on 2-deoxyglucose dependent promoter activation

Reporter vectors are very often used to investigate mechanisms responsible for regulation of promoter activity. Since their first generation, many new variants were constructed to increase sensitivity and reduce background signal. However, these tools are still imperfect and can generate false results. We have found that depending on the backbone of the reporter vector, pGL3 or pGL2, different results are obtained for a eukaryotic promoter's activation by metabolic changes. These observations were done in the course of investigation of the MMP2 (matrix metalloproteinase-2) promoter regulation in response to inhibition of glycolysis.

Potential limitations of the Sleeping Beauty transposon use in gene expression studies

MCPIP2 is the least known member of the MCPIP family of proteins. Recently we have found that it is a new RNase involved in transcript turnover. However, the full spectrum of its cellular targets is still unidentified. To discover transcripts which are regulated by this protein we have employed Sleeping Beauty transposons. This tool allows for rapid generation of a stable transgenic cell line with inducible expression of the desired gene. In this study, we analysed how the Sleeping Beauty system itself influences expression of chosen genes, namely IL-6, Regnase-1 and VEGF. We found that the system alone may influence expression of IL-6. Our results indicate that Sleeping Beauty transposons should be used with caution in studies that are focused on changes in the transcript level.