Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026
11:08
Packaging HIV- or FIV-based Lentivector Expression Constructs & Transduction of VSV-G Pseudotyped Viral Particles
Published on: April 8, 2012
Densovirinae as gene transfer vehicles
1Department of Microbiology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA. boraf@lamar.colostate.edu
Contributions to Microbiology
|August 15, 2000
Summary
Densoviruses offer a promising platform for insect expression vectors due to their small, infectious genomes and efficient gene delivery capabilities. These viral vectors facilitate gene expression in insect cells and organisms, aiding in research and potential genetic manipulation.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Virology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Densoviruses are small DNA viruses with genomes amenable to genetic manipulation.
- Their unique biological properties make them suitable for developing novel expression systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential of densoviruses as expression vectors for insects.
- To evaluate the feasibility of using densovirus-based particles for gene delivery and expression.
Main Methods:
- Cloning and transfection of infectious densovirus genomes.
- Utilizing densovirus promoters and the NS1 protein for gene expression.
- Packaging recombinant genomes into transducing particles using helper functions.
Main Results:
- Densovirus genomes are small, infectious, and support high constitutive promoter activity.
- The NS1 protein retains function when fused to foreign proteins.
- Densovirus particles can package foreign genes up to 150 kDa.
- Transducing particles can be produced using helper plasmids or virus-transformed cells, yielding wild-type-free preparations.
Conclusions:
- Densoviruses are highly effective vectors for delivering and expressing foreign genes in insect systems.
- Densovirus-based transducing particles are valuable tools for studying viral pathogenesis and insect genetic engineering.
Related Concept Videos
02:18Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms
Genetic transfer occurs when genetic information is passed from one organism to another. It occurs via two mechanisms: vertical gene transfer and horizontal gene transfer. Vertical gene transfer occurs when genetic information is transferred from one generation to the next, which happens much more frequently than horizontal gene transfer. Both sexual and asexual reproduction are forms of vertical gene transfer, where one or more organisms pass some or all of their genome onto their progeny.
02:57DNA-only Transposons
DNA-only transposons are called autonomous transposons since they code for the enzyme transposase that is required for the transposition mechanism. Insertion of transposons can alter gene functions in multiple ways. They can mutate the gene, alter gene expression by introducing a novel promoter or insulator sequence, introduce new splice sites, and change the mRNA transcripts produced, or remodel chromatin structure.
The donor site from where the transposon is excised is either degraded or...
The donor site from where the transposon is excised is either degraded or...
02:33Retroviruses
Retroviruses and retrotransposons both insert copies of their genetic elements into the genome of the host cell. Thus, the viral genes are passed on when the host genome is replicated or translated. A typical retroviral DNA sequence contains 3-4 genes that encode the different proteins required for its structural assembly and function as a molecular parasite. This DNA is transcribed into a single mRNA, which is very similar in structure to conventional mRNAs, i.e., it is capped at the 5’...
03:18Non-LTR Retrotransposons
As the name suggests, non-LTR retrotransposons lack the long terminal repeats characteristic of the LTR retrotransposons. Additionally, both LTR and non-LTR retrotransposons use distinct mechanisms of mobilization. Non-LTR retrotransposons are further divided into two classes - Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) and short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs), both of which occur abundantly in most mammals, including humans. Some of the active non-LTR retrotransposons in humans are L1...
02:18Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms
Genetic transfer occurs when genetic information is passed from one organism to another. It occurs via two mechanisms: vertical gene transfer and horizontal gene transfer. Vertical gene transfer occurs when genetic information is transferred from one generation to the next, which happens much more frequently than horizontal gene transfer. Both sexual and asexual reproduction are forms of vertical gene transfer, where one or more organisms pass some or all of their genome onto their progeny.
01:27Horizontal Gene Transfer
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a process where genetic material moves between organisms within the same generation, unlike vertical gene transfer, which occurs from parent to offspring. HGT plays a crucial role in microbial evolution, adaptation, and survival, particularly in shared environments like the human gut.Mobile genetic elements such as plasmids, prophages, integrons, insertion sequences, and transposons facilitate this process. HGT occurs through three primary mechanisms:...