AAV with CMV7 promoter driven C1V1(E122T/E162T)-TS-mCitrine

This AAV expresses C1V1(E122T/E162T)-TS-mCitrine driven by an ubiquitous CMV7 promoter.

The CMV7 promoter is about 0.35 kb in length and is a shortened version of the commonly used CMV promoter. CMV7 has a truncated version of the CMV enhancer. When tested in several cell lines, this promoter provides an expression level that is about 3-5 fold lower than that of the original 0.6Kb CMV 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/162T) is highly efficient in neurons, with a maximum absorption at 530nM with a narrow action spectra. Off-kinetics is 35ms.

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