Abstract
This report describes a transfection-independent system for packaging alphavirus replicon vectors using modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) vectors to express all of the RNA components necessary for the production of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus replicon particles (VRP). Infection of mammalian cells with these recombinant MVA vectors resulted in robust expression of VEE structural genes, replication of the alphavirus vector and high titers of VRP. In addition, VRP packaging was achieved in a cell type (fetal rhesus lung) that has been approved for the manufacturing of vaccines destined for human use.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Bernard Moss and Linda Wyatt for providing the vaccinia virus vector plasmids and MVA, and Jonathan Smith, Mike Parker, Peter Pushko and Kurt Kamrud for helpful discussions and technical advice with the VEE expression system.
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Vasilakis, N., Falvey, D., Gangolli, S. et al. Transfection-independent production of alphavirus replicon particles based on poxvirus expression vectors. Nat Biotechnol 21, 932–935 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt845
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt845
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