U6-shRNA-GFP AAV (Serotype 5)

Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAV) are promising viral vectors for gene delivery applications. These viruses belong to the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-packaged Parvoviridae and Dependovirus genera. Hundreds of AAV genotypes have been sequenced from several mammalian species, and to date, 12 serotypes (AAV1 to AAV12) have been defined for human and non-human primate isolates. Based on antigenic reactivity and sequence similarity, these 12 serotypes are divided into eight genotypes, clades A to F and clonal isolates AAV4 and AAV5. These groups are represented by AAV1 to AAV9, with AAV1 and AAV6 belonging to the same clade A due to their high sequence similarity and antigenic cross-reactivity. The sequence identity of representative members ranges from about 55% to 99%, with AAV4 and AAV5 being the most divergent from each other and from other members.

U6-shRNA-GFP AAV (serotype 5) is a versatile and widely used molecular biology tool, especially in gene knockdown experiments. The U6 promoter is a strong and ubiquitous promoter that is primarily used to drive the expression of small RNA molecules such as shRNA in mammalian cells. The choice of random shRNA is critical because it serves as a non-targeting control. This ensures that any effects observed in the experimental setting are due to specific shRNA-mediated gene silencing rather than off-target or non-specific effects, thus providing a more accurate interpretation of the gene knockdown results.