AAV with eSYN promoter driven C1V1(E122T)-TS-Venus

This AAV expresses C1V1(E122T)-TS-Venus driven by a neuron eSYN promoter.

The eSYN is a hybrid promoter consisting of a 0.4Kb CMV enhancer (E) and the 0.45Kb human Synapsin I promoter fragment (hSYN1). eSYN hybrid promoter gives about 2-4 fold higher expression than that of the parental hSYN1 promoter. However, the neuronal specificity of eSYN is slightly decreased, compared to that of the parental hSYN1 promoter.

C1V1 is a chimeric channelrhodopsin made to boost membrane expression higher than VChR1 but with a different light spectrum. It is composed of ChR1 and VChR1 fragments, and implements fast, potent optical excitation at red-shifted wavelengths. C1V1(E122T) mutant has moderate off-kinetic with 130ms, and is red-shifted to 550nm, compared to C1V1.

The trafficking signal (KSRITSEGEYIPLDQIDINV) is also from the inward rectifier potassium channel Kir2.1; it serves to dramatically reduce intracellular accumulation and improve membrane targeting, leading to a profound increase of photocurrents. This is the basis for many third-generation optogenetics tools