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)