Expression Cassettes

Expression Cassettes - The literal meaning of cassette is a device containing film such as magnetic tape for insertion into an equipment like tape recorder, VCR, etc. Therefore by expression cassette, we mean gene constructs, which allow the insertion of foreign genes, either as transcriptional or translational fusions, behind specific promoters.

pRT plasmids are typical in this connection and have been derived from pUCI8/19. They consist of a series of vectors (e.g. pRT100, pRT101, pRT102, pRT103, pRT104), which differ in polylinker sequences, each flanked by 35S promoter of CaMV on one end and a sequence for poly A addition on the other end.

A variety of marker genes (cat, nptII, gus, etc.) have been inserted into these cassettes and their expression studied, both in protoplasts (transient expression) and in stable transgenic tissues