Lentiviral Vectors
Lentiviruses are a subclass of Retroviruses. They derived from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) and became suitable tools for gene delivery in mammalian cells, with most of the viral genes removed. Lentiviral vectors can be used for introducing libraries of complementary DNAs, short hairpin RNAs, and cis-regulatory elements into many targets, including embryonic stem cells.
Lentiviral vectors only contain the LTRs and the packaging signal, Ψ. Lentiviral packaging genes are provided on separate plasmids, so the pseudo lentiviral particles are replication deficient. Lentivirus infects both, easy-to-transfect & hard-to-transfect. The advantageous feature of lentivirus vectors is the ability to mediate potent transduction and stable expression into dividing and non-dividing cells both in vitro and in vivo.
Lentviral Vectors for Overexpression and Gene Knockdown
Lentiviruses unite the ability to integrate into host chromosomes, and to infect both dividing and non-dividing cells with gRNA, shRNA and Cas9 inserts. They are excellent tools for gene silencing, gene knockdown or to change the expression level of the target gene. Lentiviral vectors are widely used in basic biology and translational studies for stable expression.
Browse vectors with your desired insert down below!
Lentiviral Vector CRISPR
gRNA + Cas9 for gene editing
Lentiviral Vector shRNA
shRNA for gene silencing
Lentivirus - integration into host genome
Fig.1: Lentiviral Vector and Lentivirus Workflow
Lentiviral Packaging
Lenti-vpak packaging system ( ABIN4368370 ) from Origene is designed to optimize the packing of most third generation lentivectors into virus particles which can express your lentiviral construct in a multitude of mammalian cells. The lentiviral vector only contain the LTRs and the packaging signal, Psi. Lentiviral packaging genes are provided on separate plasmids, so the pseudo lentiviral particles are replication deficient.
- Optimized packing of third generation lentivectors into virus particles
- Generate high titers of viral particles
- Transfection reagent included
- Safety: 3rd generation system with improved biosafety
Lentiviral Particle
While not inside an infected cell or in the process of infecting a cell, viruses exist in the form of independent particles. Lentiviral particles are generated by co-transfection of the lentiviral expression vector with lentiviral packaging plasmids into e.g. HEK293 cells and harvesting of the virus-containing supernatant afterwards.
Pre-made lentivirus provides a ready-to-use delivery method for a specific target without the worry and often troublesome lentivirus production process. Pseudoviral particles can be concentrated, frozen, and used in later experiments.
Lentiviral Particle Advantages
- Ready-to-use: Save up to 4 weeks of work
- Reliable gene delivery into dividing and non-dividing cells
- Pre-titered: High titer concentration for efficient transduction
- Convenient: No need for optimization
- Safety: 3rd generation system with improved biosafety
Lentiviral System Resources
- Browse all Vector Backbones
- What is a plasmid?
- Advantages of different viral gene delivery vectors
- ViraSafe™ Lentiviral Packaging Systems
Find your Viral Vector
Browse at genomics-online lentiviral vectors from Applied Biological Materials, OriGene, andCell Biolabs – providing expertise and top-quality - for genome editing, protein expression or RNA interference.
