Efficient generation of transgenic pigs using equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV) derived vector

Traditional methods of transgene delivery in livestock are inefficient. Recently, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) based lentiviral vectors have been shown to offer an efficient transgene delivery system. We now extend this method by demonstrating efficient generation of transgenic pigs using an equine infectious anaemia virus derived vector. We used this vector to deliver a green fluorescent protein expressing transgene; 31% of injected/transferred eggs resulted in a transgenic founder animal and 95% of founder animals displayed green fluorescence. This compares favourably with results using HIV-1 based vectors, and is substantially more efficient than the standard pronuclear microinjection method, indicating that lentiviral transgene delivery may be a general tool with which to efficiently generate transgenic mammals.