Reporter Gene Assay
Reporter gene assays enable researchers to determine whether a gene is expressed and at what level. They are used to study signaling pathways, gene regulation, structure of regulatory elements, and much more. A reporter gene vector consists of a promoter or gene of interest, along with a reporter gene such as firefly luciferase, which codes for a protein whose activity can be easily measured. The vector is transfected into mammalian cells, and when the gene of interest is active in the cells, the reporter gene is also expressed and can be measured using appropriate detection reagents.