A New Defective Helper RNA to Produce Recombinant Sindbis Virus that Infects Neurons but does not Propagate.

ABSTRACT: Recombinant Sindbis viruses are important tools in neuroscience because they combine rapid and high transgene expression with a capacity to carry large transgenes. Currently, two packaging systems based on the defective helper (DH) RNAs DH(26S)5'SIN and DH-BB(tRNA;TE12) are available for generating recombinant Sindbis virus that is neurotropic (able to infect neurons and potentially other cells). Both systems produce a fraction of viral particles that can propagate beyond the primary infected neuron. When injected into mouse brain, viruses produced using these DH RNAs produce transgene expression at the injection site, but also elsewhere in the brain. Such ectopic labeling caused recombinant Sindbis viruses to be classified as anterograde viruses with limited retrograde spread, and can com

SUBMITTER: Kebschull JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4877524 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature