reporter gene fusion - (Jul/02/2007 )
Hey BioForum folks,
                            I'm trying to fuse a peptide to a reporter gene to use in mammalian cells( HEK293).  I'm thinking about using β-galactosidase.  So the lab has a β-galactosidase vector that can be used in Ecoli.  I want to ask if this vector can be used in mammalian cells as well.  My thinking is that i would not be able to use this vector because not only would the promoter not function in mammalian cells but the β-galactosidase sequence for mammalian cells is very different from the one in Ecoli (meaning I cant PCR out the β-galactosidase sequence and just insert after a mammalian promoter).  Any ideas?
Also aside from β-galactosidase and GFP, what other reporter genes are good as fusion reporter genes in mammalian cells ?
Thanks, 
joe
luciferase
Hi scolix,
So my lab has a luciferase reporter gene (PGL4.13 from promega). Do you know where I can get information and protocols to help me design a peptide-luciferase fusion protein? (things like what linker to use, ect).
Thanks,
joe
We amplified the peptide and cloned it after the luciferase. We had 2 glycines after the luciferase without the stopcodon. 
We used the pGL3-vector from Promega.
