Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 5, 2026

Gene trapping

Gene trapping is a high-throughput approach that is used to introduce insertional mutations across an organism's genome.

Last revised
Jul 5, 2026
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Source

Gene trapping is a high-throughput approach that is used to introduce insertional mutations across an organism's genome.

Method

Trapping is performed with gene trap vectors whose principal element is a gene trapping cassette consisting of a promoterless reporter gene and/or selectable genetic marker, flanked by an upstream 3' splice site (splice acceptor; SA) and a downstream transcriptional termination sequence (polyadenylation sequence; polyA).

When inserted into an intron of an expressed gene, the gene trap cassette is transcribed from the endogenous promoter of that gene in the form of a fusion transcript in which the exon(s) upstream of the insertion site is spliced in frame to the reporter/selectable marker gene. Since transcription is terminated prematurely at the inserted polyadenylation site, the processed fusion transcript encodes a truncated and nonfunctional version of the cellular protein and the reporter/selectable marker. Thus, gene traps simultaneously inactivate and report the expression of the trapped gene at the insertion site, and provide a DNA tag (gene trap sequence tag, GTST) for the rapid identification of the disrupted gene.12

Access

The International Gene Trap Consortium is centralizing the data and supplies modified cell lines.3

References

References

  1. Cobellis, G; Nicolaus, G; et al. (2005). "Tagging genes with cassette-exchange sites". Nucleic Acids Res. 33 (4): e44. doi:10.1093/nar/gni045. PMC 552971. PMID 15741177.
  2. De-Zolt, S; Schnutgen, F; et al. (2006). "High-throughput trapping of secretory pathway genes in mouse embryonic stem cells". Nucleic Acids Res. 34 (3): 25. doi:10.1093/nar/gnj026. PMC 1369290. PMID 16478711.
  3. "IGTC, International Gene Trap Consortium". www.genetrap.org. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
Further reading

Further reading

External links