Adeno-Associated Virus Serotype 1 (AAV1) exhibits high homology with other AAV serotypes. AAV1 efficiently transduces muscle tissue, as determined by a region of the capsid protein VP1 (amino acids 350 to 430) which functions as a major determinant of tissue tropism.These AAV1 particles constitutively express ZsGreen under a CMV promoter. ZsGreen is a human codon-optimized variant of the green fluorescent protein isolated from reef coral (Zoanthus sp). It has been engineered for higher expression in mammalian cells and is up to four times brighter than enhanced GFP (eGFP). ZsGreen expression and AAV1 transduction efficiency can easily be verified and optimized by fluorescence microscopy or flow cytometry. ZsGreen has an excitation wavelength of 493 nm and an emission wavelength of 505 nm.