Creative BioMart provides the viruses most commonly used in optogenetic research, including lentivirus, adeno-associated virus (AAV), canine adenovirus, herpes simplex virus and rabies virus. Here, we offer some tips for customers who intend to use viral vectors in their optogenetic experiment.
| Vector type | Features and applications |
| Lentivirus (LVs) |
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| AVV |
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| Canine adenovirus (CAV) |
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| Herpes simplex virus (HSV) |
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| Rabies virus (RV) |
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The choice of viral vectors is complex and depends on the details of the experimental problem at hand. Here lists the main factors affecting carrier selection and provides guidance for auxiliary decision-making.
LV and AAV are commonly used in rodents and primates, but not zebrafish. RV and HSV are effective in rodent, primate and zebrafish models.
Cell type mitotic or post-mitotic
LV is integrated into the genome and is therefore suitable for dividing cells and non diving cells. AAV, CAV, HSV and RV remain free, so they are only applicable to post mitotic cell populations.
The maximum packaging capacity is RV < AAV < LV < CAV < HSV. AAV is sufficient to drive opsin labeled with fluorescent protein under the control of common gene promoter, but it is not suitable for large cell type specific promoter. CAV and HSV allow larger cell type specific promoters and multiple promoters or transgenes to be driven from the same vector.
LV, AAV and CAV drive stable expression for a long time. Toxicity issues are associated with HSV and RV, which limits their utility in long-term studies. It should be noted that the window for optimal cell health is less than 2 weeks after RV transduction
AAV can be produced as high titer mother liquor and infect cells with a variety of vectors, so the expression is usually high. CAV drives similar high-level expression. The expression of LV and HSV is often milder
The small size of AAV facilitates diffusion over a wide range of tissue regions. LV has large particle size and limited diffusion in vivo, which can effectively target small regions or subdomains of the structure
In general, neurons at LV and AAV infected somatic cells, transgenic products project and move to axons in the anterograde direction. CAV and RV are absorbed at the axon ends and transported retrogradely to identify input neurons to defined regions. HSV transmits in two directions, but the strongest is in the retrograde direction.
LV can be easily produced in tissue culture facilities. AAV production is a little complex, but it can be produced using standard tissue culture technology and ultracentrifuge. The generation of CAV, HSV and RV vectors is not so simple.
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