pDsRed2-1 encodes DsRed2, a variant of the Discosoma sp. red fluorescent protein (DsRed). DsRed2 contains six amino acid substitutions that accelerate chromophore maturation and decrease protein aggregation. In addition, the coding sequence for DsRed2 contains a series of silent base-pair changes for higher expression in mammalian cells. pDsRed2-1 can be used as a reporter to monitor the activity of promoters and promoter/enhancer combinations cloned into the multiple cloning site (MCS) upstream of the promoterless DsRed2 gene. Without the addition of a functional promoter, this vector will not express DsRed2.
