title: Packaging system for rapid production of murine leukemia virus vectors with variable tropism.
abstract: A method for rapidly producing helper-free murine leukemia virus (MLV) without using packaging cell lines is described. Viruses bearing ecotropic or amphotropic MLV or Rous sarcoma virus envelope glycoprotein and containing various retroviral vector genomes have been prepared with titers 30 to 40-fold higher than those produced by transient transfection of standard packaging cells. This system can be used to alter the cellular tropism of MLV by incorporating other envelope glycoproteins and to prepare retroviral vector stocks without establishing stable producer cell lines. This method will be particularly useful for preparing viruses that encode toxic proteins and for the rapid analysis of panels of mutant envelope glycoproteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0414.
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Landau
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Littman
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D001358:Avian Sarcoma Viruses / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D016679:Genome, Viral; D009052:Leukemia Virus, Murine / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D008715:Methionine / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D010957:Plasmids; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D013462:Sulfur Radioisotopes; D014162:Transfection; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D013462:Sulfur Radioisotopes; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D008715:Methionine