Patent ID: 7045315

Claim:
A method for modulating the expression of an exogenous gene in an isolated cell containing: (i) a DNA construct comprising said exogenous gene operatively associated with a response element, (ii) an ecdysone receptor obtained from a wild-type ecdysone receptor, which ecdysone receptor, in the presence of RXR, is capable of binding to said response element, wherein said ecdysone receptor comprises: a ligand binding domain capable of binding an ecdysteroid, a DNA-binding domain, and an activation domain; wherein at least one of said DNA-binding domain or said activation domain is not obtained from a native ecdysone receptor, and (iii) RXR; said method comprising providing to said cell an effective amount of a first ligand and a second ligand, wherein said first ligand is: a ligand for said modified ecdysone receptor, not normally present in said cell, and not toxic to said cell; and wherein said second ligand is a ligand for RXR.