This review will cover the use of expression cloning in Xenopus oocytes, fission yeast, and mammalian cells. Of the systems covered herein, transient expression cloning systems in Xenopus oocytes and mammalian cells have proven to be the most effective and versatile, as demonstrated by the large number of cDNA clones isolated by these two methods in the past year. Of particular interest, are recent advances in the screening methodologies used in conjunction with transient expression in mammalian cells which have permitted the application of this system in the isolation of cDNAs encoding intracellular proteins.