microRNA promoter based expression vector? - (Dec/07/2012 )
Is it possible to design a transgene to express a marker protein under the control of a miR promoter (when the miR is expressed from it's own non-coding piece of RNA, obviously not when it's expressed intragenically)? For example, can you have GFP or betaGal expressed under the control of a pre-miR ncRNA to see where and when the pre-miR is expressed? Has anyone done that before? I know you can check for the RNA itself by reverse transcription-PCR or something, or even check for the miR with a luciferase assay, but I was wondering about expressing something with the miR promoter.
Thanks.
Actually most microRNAs are transcribed from Pol II promoter even they are independently transcribed from protein coding gene. many companies sell GFT-linked miRNA expression vectors under the control of a Pol II promoter.