AAV with aMHC promoter driven CreERT2

This AAV expresses CreERT2 driven by a cardiac aMHC promoter.

αMHC(0.4) promoter is derived from the murine α-MHC gene (alpha-myosin heavy chain) and drives cardiac-specific expression. The length of this promoter is 0.4 Kb. Based on studies in primary cardiomyocytes, this aMHC(0.4) promoter gives an expression level that is comparable to that of a CMV promoter.

A mutated form of estrogen ligand-binding domain (ERT2) that binds to synthetic antagonists (such as tamoxifen or its derivative 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen) but not to circulating estrogen, was fused to the Cre recombinase (Cre) to create CreERT2 (also known as "inducible Cre"). When tamoxifen binds to CreERT2, it induces a conformational change of CreERT2, leading to its nuclear translocation, followed by Cre/Lox-mediated recombination.