A retroviral vector suitable for ultrasound image-guided gene delivery to mouse brain

ABSTRACT Gene transfer to the early-stage embryonic brain using the ultrasound image-guided gene delivery (UIGD) technique has proven to be valuable for investigating brain development. Thus

far, this technology has been restricted to the study of embryonic neurogenesis. When this technique is designed to be employed for the study in adult animals, a long-term stable gene

expression will be required. We attempted to develop a retroviral vector suitable for expressing exogenous genes in the brains of postnatal and adult mice in the context of the UIGD

technique. Retroviral vectors containing four different long terminal repeats (LTRs) (each from Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV), murine stem cell virus (MSCV), myeloproliferative

sarcoma virus (MPSV) and spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV)) were compared using the well-known CE vector having the EF1α internal promoter as a control. The MS vector containing MSCV LTR

produced a higher viral titer and a higher level of gene expression than other vectors including CE. The MS vector drove the gene expression in cultured neural stem cells for 3 weeks.

Furthermore, the MS vector could efficiently deliver the gene to the mouse central nervous system, as transgene expression was found in various regions of the brains and spinal cords as well

as in all major neural cell types. The data from an _in vivo_ luciferase imaging analysis showed that the gene expression from the MS vector was sustainable for almost 3 months. Our data

suggested that the MS vector would be suitable to construct mice containing the transgene expressed in the brain or spinal cord in a quick and cost-effective manner. Access through your

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homologous recombination. _Gene Therapy_ 2003; 10: 706–711. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was supported by the grant given to S Kim's

university laboratory by Brain Research Center of the 21st Century Frontier Research Program funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (#2011K000287), in which ViroMed Co.

Ltd is a participating company. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetic Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea J Jang & 

S Kim * School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea K Yoon * Institute of Radiation Medicine, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul,

Korea D W Hwang * WCU Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Science, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea D S Lee *

School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea S Kim Authors * J Jang View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * K Yoon

View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * D W Hwang View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * D S

Lee View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * S Kim View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to S Kim. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare no conflict of interest. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS

ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Jang, J., Yoon, K., Hwang, D. _et al._ A retroviral vector suitable for ultrasound image-guided gene delivery to mouse brain. _Gene Ther_ 19, 396–403 (2012).

https://doi.org/10.1038/gt.2011.120 Download citation * Received: 15 February 2011 * Revised: 15 July 2011 * Accepted: 18 July 2011 * Published: 08 September 2011 * Issue Date: April 2012 *

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/gt.2011.120 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not

currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative KEYWORDS * retroviral vector * murine stem cell virus * _in utero_

gene transfer * ultrasound image-guided gene delivery * _in vivo_ luciferase imaging