Reconstruction and expression of the MRI-contrast protein, ferritin, with recombinant rabies vectors.
Attenuated recombinant rabies vector could be an ideal system for delivery of contrast agent gene for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) because of its neurotropic nature. In this study, the gene of a biomolecular contrast agent, ferritin, was successfully cloned into two rabies virus vectors, vaccine-based pCTN and street strain-based pNH. Recombinant virus granules were obtained and proved to express ferritin by RT-PCR after transfection of CTN-ferritin and NH-ferritin vector systems in BHK-21 cells. The recovered rabies virus-rCTN-ferritin was of similar ability to rNH-ferritin, which suggests the possibility of application of this safe and effective rabies vector system in delivery of diagnostic or therapeutic genes into the brain.
Liu
Lingling
L
State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
Gong
Kai
K
Ming
Pinggang
P
Huang
Ying
Y
Tang
Qing
Q
Xu
Gelin
G
Yan
Jiaxin
J
Zhao
Nanming
N
Zhang
Xiufang
X
Gong
Yandao
Y
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000378:metabolism; D006224:Cricetinae; D005293:Ferritins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000235:genetics*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014161:Transduction, Genetic
D003287:Contrast Media; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D005293:Ferritins