Optimization of Baculovirus-Mediated Gene Delivery into Vertebrate Cells

by Kari Airenne, PhD
Volume 8, Issue 3 (Fall 2009)

Baculoviruses are large rod-shaped DNA-viruses which specifically infect only arthropods, mostly lepidopteran species. Among the over 600 known species, Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is the most characterized and widely used. The baculovirus genome is poorly transcribed and does not replicate in non-target cells. Thus, baculoviruses are harmless for vertebrates even though they can be found everywhere and we eat them daily on our vegetables. Baculoviruses have been applied in biotechnology for almost a century now, first as biopesticides (since the 1920s), then for recombinant protein production (since the early 1980s), and most recently for gene delivery into vertebrate cells (since the mid-1990s)…

Citation:
Airenne K. Optimization of Baculovirus-Mediated Gene Delivery into Vertebrate Cells. BioProcess J, 2009; 8(3): 54-59. http://dx.doi.org/10.12665/J83.Airenne