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Pantropic retroviral vectors mediate somatic cell transformation and expression of foreign genes in dipteran insects
Author(s) -
Jordan T. V.,
Shike H.,
Boulo V.,
Cedeno V.,
Fang Q.,
Davis B. S.,
JacobsLorena M.,
Higgs S.,
Fryxell K. J.,
Burns J. C.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
insect molecular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.955
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2583
pISSN - 0962-1075
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2583.1998.00063.x
Subject(s) - biology , vector (molecular biology) , transformation (genetics) , vesicular stomatitis virus , germline , gene , transposable element , host (biology) , somatic cell , viral vector , virology , insect , genetics , genome , virus , botany , recombinant dna
The control of insects that transmit disease and damage crops has become increasingly difficult. The ability to genetically engineer insects would facilitate strategies to protect crops and block arthropod vector-borne disease transmission. Transformation vectors based on insect transposable elements have been developed, but most have limited host ranges. A promising alternative is the pantropic retroviral vector, which is packaged with the envelope glycoprotein from vesicular stomatitis virus and is replication-defective. We show here that pantropic murine retroviral vectors can mediate high-level expression of foreign genes in somatically transformed insect larvae and adults of three dipteran genera. This success demonstrates the potential for germline transformation mediated by pantropic retroviral vectors.