Foamy virus for efficient gene transfer in regeneration studies.

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Gene transfer methods for studying appendage regeneration in salamanders are limited.
• Efficient and stable gene delivery systems are crucial for molecular studies of regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient integrating virus system for studying limb and tail regeneration in salamanders.
• To assess the utility of foamy virus (FV) vectors for gene transfer in salamander regeneration models.

Main Methods:

• Utilized replication-deficient foamy virus (FV) vectors.
• Injected EGFP-expressing FV vectors into regenerating limbs and tails of axolotls.
• Compared FV vectors with lentivirus vectors for gene delivery efficacy and persistence.

Main Results:

• FV vectors efficiently transduced cells in both cell culture and in vivo regeneration models.
• Widespread and persistent EGFP expression was observed following FV vector injection throughout regeneration and reamputation.
• Tissue-specific transgene expression was achieved using FV vectors during limb regeneration.
• FV vectors demonstrated superior gene delivery compared to lentivirus vectors in this context.

Conclusions:

• Foamy virus (FV) vectors provide an efficient and non-toxic method for gene transfer in axolotl limb and tail regeneration.
• FV vector infection persists throughout regeneration and reamputation, making them valuable for studying adult phenotypes.
• This gene delivery approach can potentially be applied to other salamander species for regenerative studies.