Lentivirus is one of the most commonly used gene delivery systems, yet there are many things to consider before using it for your experiments.
Here are 4 things you should consider when making your lentiviral constructs:
Find out the answers to these questions below, plus some additional tips for your next experiment.
Here are the advantages of using lentiviruses in your experiments:
Lentivirus have a defined size limit which is determined by backbone elements like 5’ and 3’ LTRs which flank what is packaged into the viral particle.
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Pro Tip: For best packaging results, ensure that the sequence between and including the LTRs is less than 9.4kb in length. |
Due to the 9.4kb size limit, you have to make wise decisions on what to include into the vector. Common expression cassettes include:
5’ LTR - Promoter – Gene of interest – Promoter – Reporter or Selection Marker – WPRE – 3’LTR
Don’t include a polyA signal between the LTRs, or this will greatly reduce your virus titer.
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Pro Tip: For best packaging results, ensure that the sequence between andPro Tip: Include a reporter like GFP or selection marker like Puromycin for ease of monitoring transfection/transduction, as well as stable cell selection. |
Yes, the packaging system matters! Most commonly used are the 2nd Generation and 3rd Generation Packaging Systems, and 293T cells.
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Pro Tip: All of abm’s lentiviral vectors belong to the third generation, but can be packaged using either one of these systems! We recommend 2nd Generation for higher titers, and 3rd Generation for greater safety. |
Ready to start? Browse our extensive Lentivirus Library.
To learn more about the lentivirus system, visit our knowledge base on the topic.
Have questions or need help with your project? Contact our Technical Support team at technical@abmgood.com
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