Patent ID: 7160682

Claim:
A method for identifying the function of an analyte coding sequence comprising: (a) introducing into an isolated or cultured vertebrate cell i. a nucleic acid fragment comprising a nucleic acid sequence comprising (i) a detectable marker coding sequence encoding a detectable marker or a selectable marker, (ii) an analyte coding sequence located 5′ of the detectable marker coding sequence and (iii) an internal ribosome entry site located therebetween, the internal ribosome entry site being operably linked to the detectable marker coding sequence, the nucleic acid fragment positioned between at least two inverted repeats that can bind to an SB protein, the inverted repeats comprising at least one direct repeat comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9 and SEQ ID NO:10, and wherein the SB protein comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 80% identity to SEQ ID NO:1, is capable of binding to the inverted repeat sequence of at least one of SEQ ID NO:4 and SEQ ID NO:5, and is capable of catalyzing the integration of the nucleic acid fragment into DNA in an isolated or cultured vertebrate cell; and ii. a transposase source selected from the group consisting of a transposase and a nucleic acid encoding a transposase, wherein the transposase is an SB protein; (b) detecting the detectable marker or the selectable marker in the cell or its progeny containing the nucleic acid fragment, wherein the expression of the detectable maker or the selectable marker indicates that the nucleic acid fragment has integrated into the DNA of the cell and that the analyte coding sequence is expressed; and (c) determining whether a phenotype of the cell or its progeny containing the nucleic acid fragment is altered in comparison to a cell that does not comprise the nucleic acid fragment, wherein an altered phenotype indicates that the analyte coding sequence plays a function in the phenotype.