Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Reporter Genes

Reporter Genes

Reporter genes are a type of protein-coding gene that are often tagged to a gene of interest. Once inside a target cell, reporter genes usually produce visually identifiable characteristics like fluorescence and luminescence when expressed along with the gene of interest. Thus, reporter genes “report” the presence or absence of genes of interest in an organism, determine the gene expression pattern, or track the physical location of a DNA segment or protein in the cell.
Commonly used reporter...

In-vitro Mutagenesis

In-vitro Mutagenesis

To learn more about the function of a gene, researchers can observe what happens when the gene is inactivated or “knocked out,” by creating genetically engineered knockout animals. Knockout mice have been particularly useful as models for human diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Correction: Li et al. Genetic Deficiency of Hyaluronan Synthase 2 in the Developing Limb Mesenchyme Impairs Postnatal Synovial Joint Formation. <i>Biomedicines</i> 2025, <i>13</i>, 1324.

Biomedicines·2026

Same author

Genetic Deficiency of Hyaluronan Synthase 2 in the Developing Limb Mesenchyme Impairs Postnatal Synovial Joint Formation.

Biomedicines·2025

Same author

Alpha-smooth muscle actin-expressing dermal sheath cells are a major cellular contributor to heterotopic subcutaneous ossifications in a mouse model of Albright hereditary osteodystrophy.

JBMR plus·2025

Same author

vSPACE: exploring virtual spatial representation of articular chondrocytes at the single-cell level.

Bioinformatics (Oxford, England)·2024

Same author

Hair follicle-resident progenitor cells are a major cellular contributor to heterotopic subcutaneous ossifications in a mouse model of Albright hereditary osteodystrophy.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024

Same author

vSPACE: Exploring Virtual Spatial Representation of Articular Chondrocytes at the Single-Cell Level.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Lentiviral Mediated Production of Transgenic Mice: A Simple and Highly Efficient Method for Direct Study of Founders

Lentiviral Mediated Production of Transgenic Mice: A Simple and Highly Efficient Method for Direct Study of Founders

Published on: October 7, 2018

Engineering BAC reporter gene constructs for mouse transgenesis.

Yu Fu¹, Peter Maye

¹Department of Reconstructive Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)

|November 17, 2010

Summary

Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) technology enables advanced biological research by providing large genomic DNA clones. This method simplifies creating reporter gene constructs for studying gene expression, such as in skeletal biology.

More Related Videos

Generating Transgenic Plants with Single-copy Insertions Using BIBAC-GW Binary Vector

Generating Transgenic Plants with Single-copy Insertions Using BIBAC-GW Binary Vector

Published on: March 28, 2018

Genetic Manipulation of the Mouse Developing Hypothalamus through In utero Electroporation

Genetic Manipulation of the Mouse Developing Hypothalamus through In utero Electroporation

Published on: July 24, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Lentiviral Mediated Production of Transgenic Mice: A Simple and Highly Efficient Method for Direct Study of Founders

Lentiviral Mediated Production of Transgenic Mice: A Simple and Highly Efficient Method for Direct Study of Founders

Published on: October 7, 2018

Generating Transgenic Plants with Single-copy Insertions Using BIBAC-GW Binary Vector

Generating Transgenic Plants with Single-copy Insertions Using BIBAC-GW Binary Vector

Published on: March 28, 2018

Genetic Manipulation of the Mouse Developing Hypothalamus through In utero Electroporation

Genetic Manipulation of the Mouse Developing Hypothalamus through In utero Electroporation

Published on: July 24, 2013

Area of Science:

Genomics
Molecular Biology
Transgenic Technology

Background:

Genome sequencing and annotated databases facilitate identification and acquisition of Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) clones.
Genetic modification methods for BACs enable rapid creation of gene targeting and reporter gene constructs via bacterial homologous recombination.

Purpose of the Study:

To demonstrate the utility of BAC clones and bacterial recombination for generating fluorescent protein reporter transgenic mice.
To encourage adoption of BAC methodologies for engineering transgenic DNA constructs, challenging perceptions of complexity.

Main Methods:

Utilizing large genomic DNA clones housed in BAC vectors.
Employing bacterial recombination methods for genetic modification of BACs.
Generating fluorescent protein reporter transgenic mice, exemplified by the Tenascin C (TNC)-mCherry line.

Main Results:

BAC clones provide a more comprehensive representation of cis-regulatory elements due to their larger size, leading to more accurate endogenous gene expression studies.
Proficiency in generating BAC reporters has been achieved in a short period.
Successful generation of a Tenascin C (TNC)-mCherry transgenic reporter mouse line.

Conclusions:

BAC technology offers a powerful and accessible approach for creating sophisticated transgenic models for biological research.
BAC methodologies represent a viable and advantageous alternative to traditional molecular cloning techniques for construct engineering.
This work encourages broader laboratory adoption of BACs for advancing research in areas like skeletal biology.