KG#59
(Plasmid #110929)

• Purpose: Expresses proteins pan-neuronally in C. elegans (entire nervous system)
• Depositing Lab: Kenneth Miller
• Publication: Schade et al Genetics. 2005 Feb;169(2):631-49. doi: 10.1534/genetics.104.032334. Epub 2004 Oct 16.

Backbone

• Vector backbone: pUC
• Backbone size w/o insert (bp): 2632
• Total vector size (bp): 4915
• Vector type: Bacterial Expression

Growth in Bacteria

• Bacterial Resistance(s): Ampicillin, 100 μg/mL
• Growth Temperature: 37°C
• Growth Strain(s): DH5alpha
• Copy number: High Copy

Gene/Insert 1

• Gene/Insert name: rab-3 promoter
• Species: C. elegans (nematode)
• Insert Size (bp): 1208

Cloning Information for Gene/Insert 1

• Cloning method: Unknown
• 5′ sequencing primer: Unknown

Gene/Insert 2

• Gene/Insert name: unc-54 3' control region
• Species: C. elegans (nematode)
• Insert Size (bp): 940

Cloning Information for Gene/Insert 2

• Cloning method: Unknown
• 5′ sequencing primer: Unknown

Terms and Licenses

• Academic/Nonprofit Terms:
  • UBMTA
• Industry Terms:
  • Not Available to Industry

Depositor Comments

Unique multi-cloning sites: Nhe I, Sal I, Acc I, Kpn I/ Age I/ Xho I, Bgl II

Used Pfu Ultra polymerase and primers engineered with restriction sites to amplify the 1.2 Kb rab-3 promoter from N2 genomic DNA and cloned it into Pst I/ Bam HI cut pPD96.52 (C. elegans body wall muscle expression vector; this digestion removed the myo-3 promoter in 2 fragments and left the 3.7 kb vector). Transformed into XL1-Blue electrocompetent cells. Miniprepped 6 clones to find those with correct size insert and vector, then submitted 2 clones for sequence. Chose one clone that has correct sequence and made glycerol stock.

Features of the expression construct: This expression construct has a promoter (rab-3) that will drive strong and specific expression (of whatever gene is inserted in the MCS) in the entire nervous system of juvenile and adult animals. The boundaries of the rab-3 promoter sequence were obtained by examining pRabGFPrim3' from Mike Nonet's lab web site and comparing that to the genome sequence. Other features of the expression vector include a "decoy" 5' to the promoter to reduce non-specific expression in the gut (see Fire Lab 1995 Kit documentation for description), the unc-54 3' end including the poly A addition signal, and 3 introns (1 in 5' UTR, 1 just upstream of the unc-54 3' end, and 1 inserted in the unc-54 3' end). These introns help provide more uniform and robust expression, especially if you are expressing a cDNA with no introns as opposed to a gene with introns.

Note: this vector can be converted to a vector that fuses GFP, YFP, or CFP onto the C-terminus of the protein as follows:

Remove the ~1000 bp (Kpn I or Age I) + (Spe I or BsiW I [expensive, 55 C cutter with 50% activity at 37 C; heat inactivate 80 C] or Apa I) fragment containing the unc-54 3’ control region from this plasmid and replace it with the ~1800 bp like-digested fragment containing 3-intron S65C GFP (see pPD94.81 in Fire Lab plasmids), YFP (see pPD136.64 in Fire Lab plasmids) or CFP (see pPD136.61 in Fire Lab plasmids) + the unc-54 3’ UTR and control region. Note if Spe I is used to cut these Fire Lab vectors, you get 3 bands: 1100, 1800, and 4000 (total size 6.9 Kb). The 1800 bp band is the XFP-containing band.

For C-terminal fusions, remember to leave the stop codon off of the upstream protein. For the above-mentioned Fire Lab vectors, the reading frame for the downstream XFP relative to the Kpn I and Age I sites is as follows (triplets are the reading frame codons):

Kpn I
G GTA CCG GT
Age I

Alternatively, use Gibson Assembly/ NEBuilder to insert any genetically encoded fluorescent protein at the N- or C-terminus of your protein.