Retroviral systems

Retroviruses are an efficient means to deliver single DNA expression constructs to a wide range of mammalian cell types. They are by far the easiest and fastest means to deliver genes stably to mammalian cells.

They have an additional advantage in that systems developed in the Nolan Laboratory have allowed for their application to deliver large libraries of genes or peptides (or frankly any DNA-encoded objects) to target cells.

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Phoenix-MMULV vectors

Phoenix: The first, termed Phoenix, is currently employed in over 2500 laboratories worldwide for delivery of genes and libraries to cells for biomedical research. It is based on Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus (MMULV) and allows for delivery of genes to most DIVIDING mammalian cell types. The system comes as either an Ecotropic packaging system (capable of delivering genes to dividing murine or rat cells) or an Amphotropic system (capable of delivering genes to dividing cells of most mammalian species, including human). A variant of the system contains simply the gag-pol genes and allows for pseudotyping with alternative envelope proteins such as VSV-G.

Felix-FIV lentivirus vectors

Felix (FIV): The second system (Felix) is based on Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and allows for delivery of genes to most DIVIDING and NONDIVIDING mammalian cell types. The FELIX vector system is derived from Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). FIV is a member of the lentivirus subfamily of retroviruses, and causes an immunodeficiency syndrome in cats which closely resembles that caused by HIV in humans.

Helix-HIV lentivirus vectors

Helix (HIV): The third system is the HIV-1 based packaging systems (Helix) which allows for delivery of genes to most DIVIDING and NONDIVIDING mammalian cell types. These vectors are derived from Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

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