Neural toxicity of retroviruses

Recombinant retroviruses containing the cDNA for human tyrosine hydroxylase-1 and Escherichia coli lacZ gene were used to infect primary foetal ventral mesencephalon and cortical cultures from rat brain. Severe neuronal toxicity resulted 3-4 days after infection, glial cells seemed to be much more resistant. The toxicity was likely to have resulted from an agent present within the virus-containing medium itself, rather than from the retrovirus itself. The results of this study indicate that retroviruses are not suitable vectors for the introduction of tyrosine hydroxylase into primary neuronal cultures.