The Human Ubiquitin C Promoter Directs High Ubiquitous Expression of Transgenes in Mice
Key findings
Establishes the 1.2 kb human Ubiquitin C (UbC) promoter (position −1225 to −6) as a superior constitutive driver for broad-tissue transgene expression in vivo. Transgenic mice carrying junB or bcl-2α under UbC control showed high-level expression across all examined tissues—including liver and brain—where standard constitutive promoters (CMV, H2-Kb, Pgk-1, CAG/β-actin) commonly fail or show restricted activity. In some tissues, transgene transcript levels reached up to 20-fold above endogenous. Expression was confirmed from embryonic day 10.5 through adulthood. The UbC promoter is widely used in AAV vector design as an alternative to CMV or CAG when sustained, pan-tissue expression is required without the silencing or immune-activation issues associated with viral promoters, particularly in CNS and liver applications.