pAAVdual-CaMKIIα-Cre

pAAVdual-CaMKIIα-Cre is used to produce AAV-CaMKIIα-Cre virus using novel AAVdual production system. In this plasmid, the regular single strand AAV genome with a CaMKIIα promoter and an Cre reporter is cloned into our novel Ad helper plasmid, mini-pHelper. AAV-CaMKIIα-Cre viruses can be generated by co-transfection of this plasmid with regular AAV helper (pRCap) plasmids, carrying AAV2 rep gene and different cap genes, without adding additional Ad helper plasmid to supply E2A, E4orf6 and VA RNA functions.
The CaMKIIα promoter refers to the regulatory sequence that controls the expression of the Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II Alpha (CaMKIIα) gene. CaMKIIα is an essential enzyme predominantly expressed in the brain, especially in excitatory neurons of the forebrain, such as those found in the hippocampus and cortex. The CaMKIIα promoter is a neuron-specific regulatory element that drives gene expression in excitatory neurons of the forebrain, particularly in regions like the hippocampus and cortex. It is a critical tool in neuroscience research, transgenic model development, optogenetics, and potentially gene therapy. Its specificity to neurons involved in synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory makes it invaluable for studying the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying these key brain functions.
Cre recombinase is a site-specific DNA recombinase enzyme derived from the bacteriophage P1. Cre recombinase recognizes specific DNA sequences known as loxP sites and catalyzes the recombination between them. This recombination event can lead to the deletion, inversion, or translocation of the DNA segment flanked by loxP sites, depending on the orientation of the sites. AAV-Cre is a powerful tool for genetic research, enabling targeted manipulation of genes in specific tissues or at specific times. Its ability to drive site-specific recombination makes it an essential component of many gene editing, knockout, and lineage tracing studies.

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