Divalent Metal Transporter, DMT1: A Novel MRI Reporter

Benjamin Bay Bartelle¹, Kamila Urzula Szulc², Daniel H. Turnbull^2,3

Here we present a novel reporter gene which functions in concert with Mn enhanded MRI. Based on an observed correlation between DMT1 expression and endogenous Mn enhanced contrast, we characterized the proteins effect on T1 in cells using saturation recovery based relaxometry and quantitative expression assays. We went on to ectopicly express DMT1 in the brain of a neonate mouse and image gene expression in vivo using standard MEMRI methods. These early experiments demonstrate DMT1s robust potential as a reporter of gene expression for MRI.