Red Luciferase Kits

The ability to measure cell viability, evaluate cell metabolic activity, count cells in culture, monitor cell damage or measure the cytotoxic effects of biochemical agents or drugs is important in a variety of fields including drug development, cell cycle analysis, cell culture monitoring, high-throughput screening or bacterial identification.

Among the most sensitive methods of monitoring cell number, cell viability or cytotoxicity are bioluminescent techniques. In vitro analysis of cell viability or cytotoxicity has found application in drug development, where the screening of large numbers of lead compounds early in the drug development process can help prioritize hits and eliminate potentially toxic compounds, these methods can also limit the need for extensive animal experimentation. Marker Gene has introduced several new ultrasensitive kits based upon our newly-developed Red Bioluminescent Luciferase Protein. This new luciferase uses the same substrate, D-luciferin, as the commonly used green luminescent luciferases, and can thus be applied in multiplexed assays with existing bioluminescent systems more...

Nucleic Acid Labeling Kits

The abilty to label DNA and RNA is very important in the study and treatment of genetic abnormalities. A number of agents have been described for labeling nucleic acids to facilitate detection of target DNA or RNA sequences.It is essential that the labeling method not perturb base-pairing hybridization critical for preserving assay specificity. Nevertheless, several common methods can often lead to interference with the subsequent hybridization detection step. Our OliGlo™ kits utilize a direct labeling methodology through reaction with the phosphate groups (terminal and backbone) on oligonucleotides, DNA or RNA. The active labeling reagents are prepared in situ from stable precursor molecules derived from a variety of highly fluorescent dyes and other detection labels, allowing the highly reactive labels to function at optimum efficiency for each sample. The OliGlo™ kits allow molecular biologists and clinical researchers to label or monitor genomic DNA or RNA samples, nucleotides or oligonucleotides for easy detection and quantification and are available as both Universal Labeling Kits and specialized FISH kits more...

New Red Bioluminescent Luciferase Vectors

Researchers at Marker Gene have developed a new luciferase gene using point mutation and codon optimization of the luciferase sequence from the natural luciferase gene isolated from Luciola cruciata (the Japanese firefly). This novel recombinant DNA has been incorporated into vectors (M1394 and M1395) containing the highly expressing CMV and SV40 promoters for high expression activities in mammalian cells. The gene codes for an improved amino acid sequence which exhibits long-wavelength light emission (red color, EM 619 nm), as well as improved thermostability and higher expression levels in mammalian cells compared with other luciferases including the native luciferase derived from the American firefly Photinus pyralis. The expressed enzyme uses the same substrate, D-Luciferin (M0237), that is used with other luciferases, and activity can easily be detected using our convenient MarkerGeneTM Live Cell Luciferase Assay Kit (M0626). Additional substrates for use in detecting cloned activity in living tissues and in vivo include the membrane permeant D-Luciferin, ethyl ester (M0906). This makes these new vectors ideal candidates for use in vivo detection methods ... more