Paired box gene 8 (Pax8) is a transcription factor that is a critical regulator of thyroid development, kidney development, and gonadal function. The Pax8 luciferase reporter vector is designed to study the transcriptional activity of Pax8. The vector contains a Pax8 DNA consensus binding site and TA minimal promoter upstream of a firefly luciferase reporter gene, which can specifically report Pax8 activity while maintaining a low basal level of transcription.