University of California

William C Skarnes

Marc Tessier-Lavigne

Philip A Leighton

Kevin J Mitchell

The invention provides methods and compositions for expressing targeted gene products in vertebrate neurons. The compositions include gene trap vectors comprising a polynucleotide comprising promoterless selectable marker and axon reporter encoding sequences, which may be operatively joined to an internal ribosome-entry site, and may comprise a splice acceptor site located 5&prime; to the selectable marker and axon reporter encoding sequences. The methods include methods of expressing an axon reporter in a cell by transferring the subject vectors into an embryonic stem cell and incubating the cell under conditions whereby the cell or a progeny of the cell differentiates into a neuron comprising an axon or dendrites, and the neuron expresses the axon reporter under the transcriptional control of the gene; and specifically detecting the axon reporter in the axon or dendrites. Neuronal specific expression may also be effected in disclosed binary systems.

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Berkeley, CA, United States of America

William C Skarnes