Baculovirus Transfer Vectors

The production of a recombinant baculovirus expression vector normally involves mixing infectious virus DNA with a plasmid-based transfer vector and then co-transfecting insect cells to initiate virus infection. The aim of this chapter is to provide an update on the range of baculovirus transfer vectors currently available. Some of the original transfer vectors developed are now difficult to obtain but generally have been replaced by superior reagents. We focus on those that are available commercially and should be easy to locate. These vectors permit the insertion of single or multiple genes for expression, or the production of proteins with specific peptide tags that aid subsequent protein purification. Others have signal peptide coding regions permitting protein secretion or plasma membrane localization. A table listing the transfer vectors also includes information on the parental virus that should be used with each one. Methods are described for the direct insertion of a recombinant gene into the virus genome without the requirement for a transfer vector. The information provided should enable new users of the system to choose those reagents most suitable for their purposes.