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TALE Transcriptional Activator Expression Vectors


This page lists plasmid vectors into which DNA fragments encoding TAL effector repeat arrays (assembled using the REAL, REAL-Fast or FLASH methods) can be cloned for expression as TALE transcriptional activators. The Joung Lab has recently shown that TALE activators made on the framework encoded in these plasmids robustly yields highly active artificial transcription factors (Maeder et al., Nat Methods 2013). All expression vectors listed below have the EF1α promoter for efficient mammalian cell expression, encode one of the four 0.5 TALE repeats, and encode either a VP64 or a NF-κB p65 transcriptional activation domain at the carboxy-terminus of the protein. TALE activators expressed from these vectors also have a nuclear localization signal encoded at their amino-terminus.

Additional details about the REAL, REAL-Fast, and FLASH assembly methods can be found on the TALengineering website. All three of these methods yield TAL effector repeat arrays with identical DNA and amino acid sequences (i.e. only the details of the assembly are different among the three methods, the final products are the same).

The publicly available, web-based ZiFiT Targeter software program has been updated to enable identification of potential TALE activator binding sites in any given sequence of interest. The program generates graphical guides that facilitate construction of TALE repeat arrays by REAL or REAL-Fast assembly or names of plasmids required for FLASH assembly.

ID Plasmid Activation Domain RVD of C-terminal 0.5 TALE repeat
43884 MLM3367 VP64 NI (binds A)
43885 MLM3585 VP64 HD (binds C)
43886 MLM3587 VP64 NN (binds G)
43887 MLM3583 VP64 NG (binds T)
43888 MLM2581 NF-kB NI (binds A)
43889 MLM2583 NF-kB HD (binds C)
43890 MLM2585 NF-kB NN (binds G)
43891 MLM2579 NF-kB NG (binds T)