CH391L/S12/Selectablegeneticmarkers

Selectable Markers Overview

Example application of selectable genetic markers in nematodes. Only nematodes transfected with markers survive and proliferate[1].

Selectable genetic markers are extraneous genes that are introduced into a cell, conferring a previously absent resistance. These markers are primarily used to "mark" the successful transformation of DNA into a plasmid. Oftentimes, selectable markers are accompanied by other extraneous genes that is the primary gene of interest; the marker simply serves to distinguish between successful transformations, and unaltered cells. It is not atypical to witness transformation efficiencies as low as .05%, making it difficult to pick correct cellular colonies without additional techniques.

For instance, selectable genetic markers can be used to confer ampicillin resistance to E. coli. These newly resistant E. coli can then be grown on culture plates with ampicillin, allowing only E.coli with successfully transformed DNA to proliferate.

selectable screenable

Screening

blue/white green fluorescent protein

References

1. Giordano-Santini R and Dupuy D. Selectable genetic markers for nematode transgenesis. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2011 Jun;68(11):1917-27. DOI:10.1007/s00018-011-0670-1 |

   Review article about selectable genetic markers as used in nematodes. Relatively new field for nematodes, possible due to the completion of the Caenorhabditis elegans genome.