Announcement - Clontech Laboratories, Inc. Releases the Tet-Express™ Inducible Expression System

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Clontech Laboratories, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Takara Bio Inc., today announced the release of the Tet-Express Inducible Expression System, which provides the quickest and simplest Tet-inducible expression technology yet. At the heart of this new system is a cell membrane-permeable version of Clontech's Tet-Off® Advanced transcriptional activator protein (the Tet-Express transactivator) that can enter cells directly, i.e., without transfection. The Tet-Express system eliminates the requirement for a double-stable cell line expressing both the gene of interest and the tetracycline transactivator. Instead, only the gene of interest is cloned into the cells; then when gene expression is required, simply add the self-transducing Tet-Express protein directly to the cells in order to turn on the gene of interest. Since the Tet-Express protein binds and activates expression in the absence of tetracyclines, doxycycline is not required for gene activation, further simplifying the system. Clontech has filed for patent protection for the Tet-Express system.

Carol Lou, General Manager of Clontech Laboratories, Inc., comments: "Clontech has a long history of leadership in developing technologies for gene delivery and expression. We are pleased to continue and extend this history by adding the Tet-Express Inducible Expression System to our portfolio of Tet System Products, which are the gold standard for regulated gene expression."

For maximal expression and minimal background, the Tet-Express Inducible Expression System contains Clontech's latest and tightest Tet System promoter, TRE3G, which is found in Clontech's Tet-On® 3G Expression Systems (developed and marketed under a license from TET Systems GmbH and Co. KG). The Tet-Express System makes tetracycline-controlled transcription a rapid process for all cell types, and is particularly advantageous for cell types that are not amenable to sequential rounds of clonal selection. In addition, the Tet-Express System provides a novel way to screen clones for inducible expression of the gene of interest before moving on to make stable lines, by allowing the researcher to test induction in the clones simply by adding the Tet-Express transactivator to the culture medium.

About Clontech Laboratories, Inc.

Clontech Laboratories, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Takara Bio Inc., develops, manufactures, and distributes a wide range of life science research reagents under the Clontech and Takara brands. Key products include high-performance qPCR and PCR reagents (including the Ex Taq™, LA Taq™, Titanium®, and Advantage® enzymes); RT enzymes and SMART™ library construction kits; the innovative In-Fusion® cloning system; Tet-based inducible gene expression systems; and a range of Macherey-Nagel nucleic acid purification tools. These and other products support applications including gene discovery, regulation, and function; protein expression and purification; RNAi and stem cell studies; and plant and food research. For more information, visit www.clontech.com.

About Takara Bio Inc.

Takara Bio Inc. is an innovative biotechnology company based in Shiga, Japan. As a world leader in biotechnology research and development, Takara Bio was the first company to market PCR technology in Japan and is also the developer of the RetroNectin® reagent, which is used as a world-standard in gene therapy protocols. In addition to providing research reagents and equipment to the life science research market, Takara Bio has active research and product development activities in the fields of gene and cell-based therapy, and agricultural biotechnology; and is committed to preventing disease and improving the quality of life for all people through the use of biotechnology. Through strategic alliances with other industry leaders, the Company aims to extend its reach around the world. More information is available at http://www.takara-bio.com.

About TET Systems.

TET Systems is a privately held company located in Heidelberg, Germany. TET Systems was founded by Prof. Dr. H. Bujard and colleagues based on their invention of the Tet Technology, the most widely used method to control gene expression in higher organisms. TET Systems owns a broad patent portfolio covering the technology organized in six patent families comprising 36 granted patents and 14 patent applications. TET Systems markets licenses to the Tet Technology. To date, more than 160 organizations have licensed the Tet Technology including academic institutions and research foundations. The largest group of licensees are pharmaceutical and biotech companies, with 17 of the top 20 BIG Pharma (2006) being Tet Technology licensees.

SOURCE Clontech Laboratories, Inc.