C/EBP Pathway

C/EBP Signal Pathway: The C/EBP-α (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein, alpha), is a family of transcription factor and recognizes the CGCAAT motif in the promoters of target genes. It functions in homodimers and also heterodimers with C/EBP-β (beta) and C/EBP-γ (gamma), regulate the expression of genes that involves in different cellular responses, such as mitotic growth arrest and differentiation, cell cycle regulation, metabolism, osteoporosis, and in immunity, as well as in body weight homeostasis.

GenTarget developed a set of reporting lentivirus to monitor the transcriptional activity of C/EBP-regulated signal transduction pathways in cultured cells. Those reporting lentivirus has a luminescent report or a fluorescent report under a minimal CMV promoter (mCMV) that embedded with optimized tandem repeats of C/EBP transcriptional response element (C/EBP-TRE) sequence motif (5′- ATTGCGCAAT). When C/EBP binds to C/EBP-TRE sequence, the downstream reporter is expressed as the result of activation for the minimal promoter. The reporter’s signal can be easily and rapidly readout via plate assays (luciferase assay or by fluorescent microscope or FACS sorter).

Those reporting lentivirus also contains a constitutively expressed fluorescent selection marker or an antibiotic selection marker under the  RSV promoter, which makes it easier to select the stably infected signal reporting cells (to generate pathway specific sensor cell lines), and also provides internal reference for virus transduction efficiency when a fluorescent marker is under the RSV promoter. See the scheme below for lentivector’s core expression cassette.

The premade, ready-to-use reporter lentivirus provides a much easier tool to monitor the activity of C/EBP signaling pathways in virtually any mammalian cell type. It also allows to generate your own reporting cell line in your desired cell type for study or screen of pathway specific gene-knockdown, over-expression, or chemical / drug/protein treatment in the cell based assay.

Click the Product Manual (pdf) for all available products for this pathway.