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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