AAV3 ZsGreen

Adeno-Associated Virus Serotype 3 (AAV3) shares 82% sequence homology with AAV2, and like AAV2, requires Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycan (HSPG) for cellular attachment. AAV3 vectors transduce human liver cancer cells extremely efficiently because AAV3 utilizes the human Hepatocyte Growth Factor Receptor (hHGFR) as a co-receptor for viral entry, which is highly expressed in these cells. Both the extracellular domain and the intracellular kinase domain of hHGFR are required for AAV3-mediated transgene expression. These AAV3 particles constitutively express ZsGreen under a CMV promoter. ZsGreen is a human codon-optimized variant of the green fluorescent protein isolated from reef coral (Zoanthus sp). It has been engineered for higher expression in mammalian cells and is up to four times brighter than enhanced GFP (eGFP). ZsGreen expression and AAV3 transduction efficiency can easily be verified and optimized by fluorescence microscopy or flow cytometry. ZsGreen has an excitation wavelength of 493 nm and an emission wavelength of 505 nm.