Bicistronic lentiviral vector systems

Lenti-X bicistronic lentiviral vectors and expression systems allow you to deliver and stably express your gene of interest, along with a coexpressed bright fluorescent protein or an antibiotic selection marker, in virtually any mammalian cell type. The coexpressed proteins are produced from a single mRNA transcript, so you can be assured that your protein of interest is present in cells in which the detectable marker is also present.

The Lenti-X Bicistronic Expression System is available in three different formats with expression vectors containing Neo^r, Hyg^r, or Puro^r markers. Alternatively, you can coexpress your gene of interest with our Living Colors mCherry, tdTomato, and ZsGreen1 fluorescent proteins using the pLVX-IRES-mCherry, pLVX-IRES-tdTomato, and pLVX-IRES-ZsGreen1 Vectors. These are supremely bright fluorescent proteins that are excellent reporters for gene expression or for measuring the efficiency of transduction or transfection. mCherry is a very popular mutant derived by directed mutagenesis of mRFP1, a monomeric mutant of DsRed.

Simultaneous expression of two proteins—how does it work?

The key element of these bicistronic lentiviral vectors is an optimized internal ribosome entry site (IRES) that permits your gene of interest and a second detectable protein to be coexpressed from a single mRNA transcript. While translation initiation of eukaryotic mRNAs occurs almost exclusively at the 5' cap, the IRES lures ribosomes to begin translation at a second, internal location. The result is that two proteins are expressed simultaneously from a single bicistronic mRNA transcript.