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Updated: Nov 4, 2025

A Rapid In Vivo Bioassay for Developmentally Active Enhancers

A Rapid In Vivo Bioassay for Developmentally Active Enhancers

Rapid and efficient enhancer cloning and in vivo screening using the developing chick embryo.

Ruth M Williams¹, Tatjana Sauka-Spengler¹

¹University of Oxford, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK.

|May 24, 2021

Summary

Researchers developed a new method for cloning and screening potential gene enhancers in chick embryos. This efficient, medium-throughput strategy uses nanotags and a novel cloning technique to quickly identify enhancer activity in vivo.

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Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Molecular Biology
Genetics

Background:

Identifying gene regulatory elements like enhancers is crucial for understanding gene expression.
Existing methods for enhancer screening can be time-consuming and low-throughput.
The chick embryo offers a powerful model for in vivo studies.

Purpose of the Study:

To present a highly efficient, medium-throughput strategy for cloning and in vivo screening of putative enhancers.
To enable rapid identification of enhancer activity within a biological system.
To provide a robust protocol for genetic element discovery.

Main Methods:

Utilized a chick embryo model for in vivo screening.
Incorporated 48 unique nanotags for NanoString nCounter analysis.

Keywords:

CRISPR Gene Expression Model Organisms Molecular Biology

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Last Updated: Nov 4, 2025

A Rapid In Vivo Bioassay for Developmentally Active Enhancers

A Rapid In Vivo Bioassay for Developmentally Active Enhancers

Functional Cloning Using a Xenopus Oocyte Expression System

Functional Cloning Using a Xenopus Oocyte Expression System

Published on: January 30, 2016

Single Cell Transfection in Chick Embryos

Single Cell Transfection in Chick Embryos

Published on: September 25, 2010

Developed a rapid digestion/ligation protocol using type IIs restriction enzymes.

Employed three distinct fluorescent reporters for multiplexed analysis.

Main Results:

Successfully established a multiplexed approach for enhancer screening.
Demonstrated a highly efficient cloning and screening strategy.
Enabled rapid identification of enhancer activity in vivo.

Conclusions:

The described strategy offers a significant advancement in enhancer discovery.
This method facilitates medium-throughput screening of genetic regulatory elements.
The protocol is adaptable for various applications in developmental and molecular biology.