Compositions and methods for enhanced gene expression in cone cells

1. A polynucleotide cassette for enhanced expression of a transgene in cone cells of a mammalian retina, comprising

(a) a promoter region consisting of a truncated M-Opsin promoter having a sequence identity of 85% or more to SEQ ID NO:80;

(b) a coding sequence operatively linked to the promoter region; and

(c) a polyadenylation site operatively linked to the coding sequence.

2. The polynucleotide cassette of claim 1 , further comprising a 5′ untranslated region (5′UTR) consisting essentially of a sequence having a sequence identity of 85% or more to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:56, SEQ ID NO:57, SEQ ID NO:58, SEQ ID NO:84, SEQ ID NO:85, SEQ ID NO:86, SEQ ID NO:87, SEQ ID NO:88, and SEQ ID NO:89.

3. The polynucleotide cassette of claim 2 , wherein the 5′UTR does not comprise a polynucleotide ATG.

4. The polynucleotide cassette of claim 2 , wherein the 5′ UTR consists essentially of a sequence having a sequence identity of 85% or more to the full length of SEQ ID NO:85 or SEQ ID NO:86.

5. The polynucleotide cassette of claim 2 , further comprising an intron.

6. The polynucleotide cassette of claim 5 , wherein the intron comprises a sequence having a sequence identity of 85% or more to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:59, and SEQ ID NO:60.

7. The polynucleotide cassette of claim 6 , wherein the intron is located within the polynucleotide sequence comprising the 5′ UTR.

8. The polynucleotide cassette of claim 1 , further comprising a translation initiation sequence.

9. The polynucleotide cassette of claim 8 , wherein the translation initiation sequence comprises a polynucleotide sequence consisting essentially of SEQ ID NO:72 or SEQ ID NO:73.

10. The polynucleotide cassette of claim 1 , further comprising an enhancer sequence having a sequence identity of 85% or more to SEQ ID NO:52 or a functional fragment thereof.

11. The polynucleotide cassette of claim 10 , wherein the enhancer sequence consists essentially of a sequence having a sequence identity of 85% or more to the full length of SEQ ID NO:51.

12. The polynucleotide cassette of claim 1 , wherein expression of the coding sequence is greater than expression of the coding sequence when the promoter region is replaced with the promoter region of SEQ ID NO:1 when introduced into a mammalian cone cell.

13. A recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) comprising:

a) an AAV capsid protein, and

b) the polynucleotide cassette of claim 1 flanked by AAV ITRs.

14. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the rAAV of claim 13 and a pharmaceutical excipient.

15. A method for expressing a transgene in cone cells, comprising:

contacting one or more cone cells with an effective amount of the recombinant adeno-associated virus of claim 13 , wherein the transgene is expressed at detectable levels in the one or more cone cells.

16. The method according to claim 15 , comprising detecting the expression in the cone cells, wherein expression is detected in 60% or more of the cone cells.

17. A method for the treatment or prophylaxis of a cone cell disorder in a mammal in need thereof, comprising administering to the eye of the mammal an effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition of claim 14 , wherein the coding sequence encodes a therapeutic gene product, and the rAAV expresses the therapeutic gene product in the cone cells of the mammal.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the cone cell disorder is a macular dystrophy, a color vision disorder, or a vision disorder of the central macula.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the color vision disorder is selected from the group consisting of achromotopsia, blue cone monochromacy, a protan defect, a deutan defect, and a tritan defect.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises detecting a change in the disease symptoms, wherein the change comprises an increase in the ability of the mammal to perceive a color.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the macular dystrophy is selected from the group consisting of Stargardt's macular dystrophy, cone dystrophy, cone-rod dystrophy, Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7, and Bardet-Biedl syndrome-1.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein the vision disorder of the central macula is selected from the group consisting of age-related macular degeneration, macular telangiectasia, retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusions, glaucoma, Sorsby's fundus dystrophy, adult vitelliform macular dystrophy, Best's disease, rod-cone dystrophy, Leber's congenital amaurosis, and X-linked retinoschisis.

23. The method of claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises detecting a change in the disease symptoms, wherein the change comprises reducing the rate of visual acuity loss of the mammal.

24. The polynucleotide cassette of claim 1 , wherein the promoter region consists of SEQ ID NO:80.

25. The polynucleotide cassette of claim 1 , wherein the promoter region consists of a truncated M-Opsin promoter having a sequence identity of 95% or more to SEQ ID NO:80.

26. A polynucleotide cassette for enhanced expression of a transgene in cone cells of a mammalian retina, comprising SEQ ID NO:95.