Promoter Selection Guide
By Abhilasha Gupta, PhD – Senior Application Scientist
This guide is the second in our four-part series on considerations for using AAV vectors:
- AAV serotype choice with respect to tissue tropism
- Promoter choice
- Route of administration
- Other factors
Promoters can generally be categorized as ubiquitous or tissue-specific promoters.
- Ubiquitous promoters allow for transgene expression across many tissues and cells.
- Tissue-specific promoters, on the other hand, are used for cell/tissue-specific expressions.
Below is the list of promoters we have currently, and the list is expanding.
Ubiquitous Promoters
Promoter |
Size (bp) |
CMV | 665 |
CMV7 | 350 |
CMVIV (with β-globin intron) | 1165 |
CMVmin | 39 |
CAG | 1700 |
CAGGS | 1700 |
CAG2 | 1060 |
CAG3 (no intron) | 590 |
CBh | 818 |
CASI (enhancers CMV+ubiquitin C) | 1037 |
Ef1a | 336-1179 |
UBC | 1212 |
JeT | 164 |
RSV | 263 |
SV40 | 330 |
PGK | 501 |
SFFV | 50 |
SCP-1 | 80 |
Promoter |
Size (bp) |
U6 | 240 |
H1 | 215 |
7Sk | 331 |
Tissue-Specific and Cell-Specific Promoters
Target |
Promoter |
Size |
Species |
Neurons (pan) | hSYN1 | 572, 448 | Human |
---|---|---|---|
eSYN1 (CMV enhancer + hSYN1) | 850 | Human | |
Neurons | Mecp2 | 229 | Mouse |
cFos (serum-inducible) | 1700 | Human | |
CRH | 2200 | Rat | |
MCH | 1183, 1327 | Rat, Mouse | |
POMC | 710 | Mouse | |
GABAergic neurons | mVGAT | 300 | Mouse |
hVGAT | 1800 | Human | |
mDLX | 900 | Mouse | |
hDLX | 900 | Human | |
wMidbrain dopamine (DA) neuron | TH | 2500 | Mouse |
Dopamine neurons | Nurr1 | 1300 | Human |
Parvalbumin (PV) cortical interneurons | S5E2 | 900 | Mouse |
Inhibitory neurons | SST | 860 | Rat |
mGAD65 | 2500 | Mouse | |
rGAD65 | 2700 | Rat | |
Excitatory neurons | CamKIIa | 400, 1300 | Mouse |
Target |
Promoter |
Size (bp) |
Species |
Astrocytes | GFAP (GfaABC1D/GFA104/gfa2) | 700, 2200 | Human |
---|---|---|---|
Microglia | F4/80 | 1362 | Human |
CD68 | 150 | Human | |
Oligodendrocytes | MBP | 1300 | Mouse |
Purkinje cells | L7-6 | 800 | Mouse |
Target |
Promoter |
Size (bp) |
Species |
Photoreceptor | GRK1 | 292 | Human |
---|---|---|---|
Retina RPE cells | RPE | 800 | Human |
Retina rods | RHO | 2000 | Mouse |
Retina | Best1 | 1066 | Human |
VMD2 | 624 | Human | |
Trabecular meshwork and ciliary body | MYOC | 180 | Human |
Target |
Promoter |
Size (bp) |
Species |
Cardiac | aMHC | 400 | Mouse |
---|---|---|---|
cTNT | 400 | Chicken | |
Cardiac fibroblasts | POSTN | 1400 | Mouse |
Tcf21 | 1000 | Human | |
Atrial cardiomyocytes | ANF | 700 | Rat |
Target |
Promoter |
Size (bp) |
Species |
Bronchiolar and alveolar epithelial cells | SPB/SFTPB | 700 | Human |
---|
Target |
Promoter |
Size (bp) |
Species |
Kidney epithelial | CALB1 | 1100 | Mouse |
---|---|---|---|
Kidney endothelial | Ksp-cadherin (KSPC) | 1300 | Mouse |
Kidney proximal tubular | PAX8 | 1300 | Human |
Target |
Promoter |
Size (bp) |
Species |
Pancreatic acinar cells | ELA1 | 231 | Rat |
---|---|---|---|
Pancreatic Islet Cell | rIP1 | 581 | Rat |
rIP2 | 681 | Rat | |
mIP1 | 1151 | Mouse | |
mIP2 | 1204 | Mouse | |
mGCG | 1662 | Mouse | |
rGCG | 302 | Rat |
Target |
Promoter |
Size (bp) |
Species |
Adipose tissue | Adp | 900 | Human |
---|---|---|---|
AP2 | 600 | Mouse | |
UCP1 | 700 | Rat |
Target |
Promoter |
Size (bp) |
Species |
Liver | ALB | 1000-1900 | Mouse |
---|---|---|---|
ApoE/hAAT1 | 645 | Human | |
TBG | 700 | Human | |
TBGS1 | 176 | Human | |
TTR | 529 | Human | |
HLP (hybrid liver promoter) | 251 | Human |
Target |
Promoter |
Size (bp) |
Species |
Skeletal muscle | MHCK7 | 770 | Mouse |
---|---|---|---|
CK8 (MHCK7 with 2 copies of MHCK enhancer) | 450 | Mouse | |
CK8e (CK8 with deletions in enhancer) | 434 | Mouse | |
enhan358MCK | 600 | Mouse | |
dMCK (double tandem MCK enhancer) | 574 | Mouse | |
tMCK (triple tandem MCK enhancer) | 700 | Mouse | |
HSA (alpha-actin) | 1500 | Human | |
Smooth muscle | SM22a | 500 | Mouse |
Skeletal, Cardiac, Smooth muscle | Desmin (cytoskeletal) | 1000 | Mouse |
Target |
Promoter |
Size (bp) |
Species |
Type I collagen, extracellular matrix | Col1A1 | 2400 | Mouse |
---|---|---|---|
Type I collagen, alpha 2 | Col1A2 | 1500 | Mouse |
Target |
Promoter |
Size (bp) |
Species |
Unlimited proliferation potential to cancer cells | TERT | 455 | Human |
---|---|---|---|
Breast cancer cells | Survivin | 260 | Human |
Target |
Promoter |
Size (bp) |
Species |
Intestine | MUC2 | 449 | Human |
---|---|---|---|
Embryonic Stem Cells | SOX2 | 1000 | Human |
Vascular Endothelial Cells | VE-cadherin (CDH5) | 2500 | Mouse |
ICAM2 | 400 | Human | |
Flt1 | 1100 | Human | |
Tie2 | 2700 | Mouse |
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