WHP Posttranscriptional Response Element
Woodchuck Hepatitis Virus (WHV) Posttranscriptional Regulatory Element (WPRE) is a DNA sequence that, when transcribed, creates a tertiary structure enhancing expression. The sequence is commonly used in molecular biology to increase expression of genes delivered by viral vectors.[1] WPRE is a tripartite regulatory element with gamma, alpha, and beta components. The alpha component is 80bp long:
GCCACGGCGGAACTCATCGCCGCCTGCCTTGCCCGCTGCTGGACAGGGGCTCGGCTGTTGGGCACTGACAATTCCGTGGT[2]
When used alone without the gamma and beta WPRE components, the alpha component is only 9% as active as the full tripartite WPRE. The sequence for full tripartite WPRE is:
AATCAACCTCTGGATTACAAAATTTGTGAAAGATTGACTGGTATTCTTAACTATGTTGCTCCTTTTACGCTATGTGGATACGCTGCTTTAATGCCTTTGTA
TCATGCTATTGCTTCCCGTATGGCTTTCATTTTCTCCTCCTTGTATAAATCCTGGTTGCTGTCTCTTTATGAGGAGTTGTGGCCCGTTGTCAGGCAACGTGGCGTG
GTGTGCACTGTGTTTGCTGACGCAACCCCCACTGGTTGGGGCATTGCCACCACCTGTCAGCTCCTTTCCGGGACTTTCGCTTTCCCCCTCCCTATTGCCACGGCGG
AACTCATCGCCGCCTGCCTTGCCCGCTGCTGGACAGGGGCTCGGCTGTTGGGCACTGACAATTCCGTGGTGTTGTCGGGGAAGCTGACGTCCTTTCCATGGCTGCT
CGCCTGTGTTGCCACCTGGATTCTGCGCGGGACGTCCTTCTGCTACGTCCCTTCGGCCCTCAATCCAGCGGACCTTCCTTCCCGCGGCCTGCTGCCGGCTCTGCGG
CCTCTTCCGCGTCTTCGCCTTCGCCCTCAGACGAGTCGGATCTCCCTTTGGGCCGCCTCCCCGCCTG
This sequence has 100% homology with base pairs 1093 to 1684 of the Woodchuck hepatitis B virus (WHV8) genome. When used in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of a mammalian expression cassette, it can significantly increase mRNA stability and protein yield.[2]
References
- Lee, YB; Glover, CP; Cosgrave, AS; Bienemann, A; Uney, JB (Jan 2005). "Optimizing regulatable gene expression using adenoviral vectors". Exp Physiol. 90 (1): 33–7. doi:10.1113/expphysiol.2004.028209. PMID 15542617.
- Donello, JE; Loeb, JE; Hope, TJ (Jun 1998). "Woodchuck hepatitis virus contains a tripartite posttranscriptional regulatory element". J. Virol. 72 (6): 5085–92. PMC 110072. PMID 9573279.