title: Pseudo-typed Semliki Forest virus delivers EGFP into neurons.
abstract: Semliki Forest virus (SFV), a neurotropic virus, has been used to deliver heterologous genes into cells in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we constructed a reporter SFV4-FL-EGFP and found that it can deliver EGFP into neurons located at the injection site without disseminating throughout the brain. Lacking of the capsid gene of SFV4-FL-EGFP does not block its life cycle, while forming replication-competent virus-like particles (VLPs). These VLPs hold subviral genome by using the packaging sequence (PS) located within the nsP2 gene, and can transfer their genome into cells. In addition, we found that the G protein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSVG) can package SFV subviral genome, which is consistent with the previous reports. The G protein of rabies virus (RVG) could also package SFV subviral genome. These pseudo-typed SFV can deliver EGFP gene into neurons. Taken together, these findings may be used to construct various SFV-based delivery systems for virological studies, gene therapy, and neural circuit labeling.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China. jiafan@wipm.ac.cn.|Brain Research Center, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China. jiafan@wipm.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Brain Research Center, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China.
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.affiliation: University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Xutao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China.|Brain Research Center, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China.|University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.|Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
authors.forename: Fuqiang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003412:Cricetulus; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology; D015870:Gene Expression; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology*; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009474:Neurons / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology*; D061251:Primary Cell Culture; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012672:Semliki forest virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018116:Vesiculovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014771:Virion / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019065:Virus Assembly / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C028391:G protein, vesicular stomatitis virus; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins
keywords: Packaging sequence; Pseudo-typed SFV; RVG; Replication-competent VLPs; Semliki Forest virus; VSVG