Gentronix Limited

The University of Manchester

Richard Maurice Walmsley

Peter Robert Fielden

Nicholas John Goddard

Nicholas Billinton

Wolf Dietrich Heyer

Wolf-Dietrich Heyer

Paul Hastwell

Michael Gordon Barker

Andrew William Knight

The present invention relates to methods for detecting for the presence of an agent that putatively causes or potentiates DNA damage comprising subjecting a cell (containing a DNA sequence encoding a reporter protein operatively linked to a human GADD45&#x3b1; gene promoter and a human GADD45&#x3b1; gene regulatory element arranged to activate expression of the DNA sequence in response to DNA damage) to an agent; and monitoring the expression of the reporter protein from the cell. The invention also concerns expression cassettes, vectors and cells which may be used according to such a method and also modified media that may be employed in fluorescence assays and in preferred embodiments of the method of the invention.

Genotoxic testing

Recombinant DNA molecules comprising a regulatory element that activates gene expression in response to DNA damage operatively linked to a DNA sequence that encodes a light emitting reporter protein, recombinant vectors containing such DNA molecules and cells containing the DNA molecules or recombinant vectors. A method of detecting for the presence of an agent that causes or potentiates DNA damage is also disclosed which involves subjecting the above-described cells to a putative DNA damaging agent and monitoring the expression of the light emitting reporter protein from the cell.

Detection of DNA damaging agents

Green fluorescent protein

Growing community of inventors

Manchester, United Kingdom

Richard Maurice Walmsley