MRE Reporter Lentivirus

Background

The metal response element (MRE) is the DNA sequence recognized by metal-regulatory transcription factor 1 (MTF-1), a zinc-finger transcription factor that serves as the central sensor of cellular metal status. When intracellular concentrations of zinc and other heavy metals rise, MTF-1 binds MRE sequences in target gene promoters and activates transcription. Its principal targets include the metallothionein genes, which encode small cysteine-rich proteins that chelate metal ions and protect cells from metal toxicity and oxidative stress. The MTF-1/MRE pathway is essential for metal homeostasis and the cellular response to heavy metal exposure, and it is studied in the contexts of metal toxicology, oxidative stress, and cell signaling.

Product Description & Applications

The MRE Reporter Lentivirus is a transcription factor reporter system that provides a sensitive fluorescent or luminescent readout of MTF-1 and metal response pathway activity in human and mouse cells. The construct contains tandem repeats of the metal response element placed upstream of a minimal promoter driving the reporter gene (GFP, RFP, firefly luciferase, or Renilla luciferase), with an optimized upstream enhancer that maximizes signal-to-noise. A constitutive drug selection marker (Blasticidin or Puromycin) enables generation of stable polyclonal reporter cell lines suitable for fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, or luminometry. Supplied as high-titer particles purified by PEG precipitation and sucrose gradient centrifugation, the product is well suited to studying metal-induced transcription and MTF-1 activity in primary and difficult-to-transfect cells.

About This Product

This reporter lentivirus places a EGFP, Firefly Luc, GFP, Luc, mCherry, Renilla Luc, RFP reporter gene under the control of tandem consensus response elements specific for the Metal response pathway (MTF-1) transcription factor, coupled to a minimal TATA-box promoter and a proprietary upstream enhancer that maximizes signal-to-noise. The constitutively expressed selection marker (Blasticidin, Puromycin) and/or secondary reporter enables stable polyclonal cell line generation and flexible readout by fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, or luminometry.

Stable integration via the lentiviral backbone ensures consistent, clonally representative reporter expression in dividing and post-mitotic target cells — including primary T cells, macrophages, organoids, and cryopreserved material — eliminating the variability inherent to transient transfection. The self-inactivating LTR design and third-generation packaging minimize insertional mutagenesis risk and ensure biosafety classification at BSL-2.