Induction of gene expression is a valuable approach for functional studies since it allows for the assessment of phenotypes without the need for clonal selection. Inducible expression can find a wide range of applications, from the study of essential genes to the characterization of overexpression of genes of interest. Here, we describe a detailed protocol for the use of the DiCre-based inducible gene expression system in Leishmania parasites. This is a tightly regulated induction system that allows for time- and dose-controlled expression of gene products, as rapidly as within 12 h.
Keywords: Conditional genome engineering; DiCre; Dimerizable cre recombinase; Inducible gene expression; Leishmania; Trypanosomatids.