13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements with hyperpolarized [1 13C] pyruvate can be used to detect the expression of transgenic pyruvate decarboxylase activity in vivo
Dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization can increase the sensitivity of the 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy experiment by at least four orders of magnitude and offers a novel approach to the development of MRI gene reporters based on enzymes that metabolize 13C labeled tracers. We describe here a gene reporter based on the enzyme pyruvate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.1) which catalyzes the decarboxylation of pyruvate to produce acetaldehyde and carbon dioxide.
Magnetic resonance in medicine