Adeno Associated Virus Serotypes
BioInnovatise Viral Vector Team
Updated December 30, 2024
Molecular Cloning & Mutagenesis Projects Completed
Viral Vector Packaging Solutions Delivered
Plasmid DNA Preparations Successfully Produced
AAV is the leading viral vector used in research and development for treatments, therapeutics, and vaccines. One of the main reasons is its tropism, or tissue specificity. Adeno-associated virus can be a tissue-specific viral vector, which increases its ability to effectively deliver genetic payloads to target cells.
Today, there are several different AAV serotypes, each with distinguishing tissue specificity. Choosing the appropriate AAV serotype for packaging is crucial for research applications.
Our viral vector team overviews the most common AAV serotypes that are also available for AAV packaging service.
Adeno Associated Virus Serotypes Overview
Adenovirus/AAV and Retrovirus/Lentiviruses differ fundamentally in their capsid structure and evolution. AAV has a relatively simple icosahedral capsid made of VP1-3 proteins, with variations in surface loops creating different serotypes. These variations affect receptor binding and tissue tropism.
Retroviruses/lentiviruses have more complex enveloped structures with surface glycoproteins. Their diversity comes mainly from rapid mutation of RNA genome and recombination, not capsid variation like AAV.
This structural difference explains why AAV has distinct serotypes while retrovirus/lentivirus show more continuous variation. Learn more about why some researchers choose AAV vs lentivirus.
This chart summarizes the differences in AAV serotypes and which tissue they have optimized performance with.
| AAV Serotype | Tropism |
|---|---|
| AAV1 | Muscle; Neurological |
| AAV2 | Retinal; Liver; Muscle; Heart; CNS |
| AAV5 | Neurological; Respiratory; Retinal; Skeletal |
| AAV6 | Muscle |
| AAV8 | Cardiac; Hepatic; Muscle; Pancreatic; Retinal |
| AAV9 | Cardiac; Hepatic; Neurological |
| AAVDJ | Broad Tissue |
| AAVrh10 | Neurological |
| AAnc80 | Broad Tissue; Liver; Muscle; Neurological |
The AAV Packaging Process at BioInnovatise
If you have additional adeno-associated virus serotype questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our viral vector team before getting started on your AAV production.
Learn about our quick turnaround AAV packaging service.
Want to learn more about the latest in AAV based research? Our colleagues at ScienceDirect and Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News are always collecting and publishing the latest information on AAV based research.
Trusted By Top Researchers Across Disciplines and Therapeutic Areas
Subscribe for Product Releases, New Resources, and Company Updates
13 Taft Court Suite 220
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 838-8675
Follow Us on LinkedIn
© 2025 BioInnovatise, All Rights Reserved