Figure 1

The plasmid pAAV-MCS-βRARE-Luc was generated by inserting a 37 bp consensus retinoic acid response element (RARE) from the human retinoic acid receptor β2 carrying Kpn 1 linkers on the 5' prime end of both strands into the pGL3 promoter vector (Promega Corporation, Madison, WI). The expression cassette with the RARE sequence was then ligated to the back bone of the pAAVMCS vector carrying the ITR sequences. This construct was characterized by restriction mapping and by dideoxy chain-termination sequencing to verify that the β2 RARE was intact. The SV40 promoter drives expression of the firefly luciferase reporter.