Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Engineering Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan.
J Cell Biochem. 2022 Aug;123(8):1298-1305. doi: 10.1002/jcb.30314. Epub 2022 Jul 31.
EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein) is one of the most common tools used in life sciences, including research focusing on proteostasis. Here we report that ERN1 (endoplasmic reticulum to nucleus signaling 1), which is upregulated by UPR (unfolded protein response), targets an RNA hairpin loop motif in EGFP mRNA. A silent mutation introduced into EGFP mRNA abolished the ERN1-dependent mRNA decay. Therefore, experiments that employ EGFP as a reporter gene in studies that involve upregulation of the UPR pathway should be interpreted carefully, and a mutant devoid of the ERN1 target motif may be more suitable for such studies.
EGFP（增强型绿色荧光蛋白）是生命科学中最常用的工具之一，包括专注于蛋白质稳态的研究。在这里，我们报告说，UPR（未折叠蛋白反应）上调的 ERN1（内质网到细胞核信号 1）靶向 EGFP mRNA 中的 RNA 发夹环基序。引入 EGFP mRNA 中的沉默突变消除了 ERN1 依赖性 mRNA 衰减。因此，在涉及 UPR 途径上调的研究中，将 EGFP 用作报告基因的实验应谨慎解释，并且缺乏 ERN1 靶标基序的突变体可能更适合此类研究。
