EXPRESSION OF PARVOVIRUS LUIII NS1 FROM A SINDBIS REPLICON FOR PRODUCTION OF LUIII-LUCIFERASE TRANSDUCING VIRUS

In order to develop an alternative packaging system for recombinant pa rvoviruses, the gene for the major nonstructural protein (NS1) of parv ovirus LuIII was inserted into a Sindbis replicon vector. Cells infect ed with recombinant SinNS1 virus produced NS1 RNA from the Sindbis 26S promoter and expressed NS1 protein which was able to transactivate a parvovirus P38 promoter. Co-transfections of Sindbis-NS1 RNA together with a packageable LuIII transducing genome and a coat protein express ion plasmid generated detectable levels of LuIII-luciferase transducin g virus. These levels could be increased by using a capsid expression plasmid that was also capable of expressing NS2. These results show th at a multi-functional parvovirus protein expressed from a Sindbis RNA molecule can be used to produce recombinant parvoviruses. Copyright (C ) 1996 Elsevier Science B.V.