ADENOVIRUS INSERTION ENCODING THE LAC-Z GENE IN HUMAN NERVOUS CELLS IN PRIMARY DISSOCIATED CULTURES

Primary dissociated cultures of human fetal central nervous system cel ls were prepared and inoculated at different days in vitro with adenov irus that contained a reporter gene encoding beta-galactosidase. At va rious time intervals, the cultures were processed for characterization with X-gal histochemistry and additional immunostaining with neurofil ament (NF), GABA and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFA-P). We obser ved that NF (+) and GABA (+) neuronal as well as GFA-P (+) glial cells could express beta-galactosidase activity after inoculation. The labe ling was detected zip to 3 months after virus treatment. In addition, neurons cultivated for three months were found to be still permissive for virus infection. We can conclude that adenovirus may be considered as a potential vector to transfer genes to nerve cells.