A cost-effective dual reporter system in Nicotiana benthamiana

TL;DR

The paper introduces a cost-effective dual reporter system using NanoLuc-GFP in Nicotiana benthamiana for accurate gene expression studies.

Contribution

The study identifies NanoLuc-GFP as a superior, kit-independent dual reporter system for Nicotiana benthamiana.

Findings

NanoLuc-GFP shows high stability and reduced interference from biological and environmental variability.

The system is more sensitive than the conventional FLuc/RLuc system.

Seven reporters were tested, with NanoLuc-GFP emerging as the optimal choice.

Abstract

Dual reporter assay has been widely used for quantification of gene expression in various model systems. However, the assay is dependent on commercial kits, which may be inhibitory for many low-budget academic laboratories or high throughput screening. Here, we systematically characterized seven commonly used or potential reporters, and identified NanoLuc-GFP pair as the optimal kit-independent and accurate dual reporter in Nicotiana benthamiana. The NanoLuc-GFP system exhibited high stability, which can largely reduce the interference caused by biological variability and dramatic environmental fluctuations. Furthermore, it exhibits greater sensitivity compared to the conventional FLuc/RLuc system commercially available.

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