CMV-SV40/LTA(Puro) Lentiviral Particles

CMV-SV40/LTA(Puro) Lentiviral Particles are high-titer, replication-deficient viral vectors engineered for the stable expression of the Simian Virus 40 Large T Antigen (SV40 LTA). This construct employs a constitutive human cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter to drive the high-level expression of the LTA oncogene, ensuring robust activity across various mammalian cell types. The vector includes a puromycin resistance marker, typically regulated by a secondary internal promoter, which allows for the efficient selection and expansion of stable transformants. Packaged as third-generation lentivirus, these particles offer an enhanced safety profile by utilizing a split-genome packaging system. The particles are pseudotyped with the VSV-G envelope protein, granting them a broad tropism that enables the transduction of both dividing and non-dividing cells, including difficult-to-transfect primary cultures and stem cells.

The most common application of these lentiviral particles is the immortalization of primary cells to create continuous cell lines. By binding and sequestering the p53 and retinoblastoma (Rb) tumor suppressor proteins, SV40 LTA facilitates the bypass of replicative senescence, allowing researchers to work with long-term models of rare or finite cell populations. Beyond immortalization, these particles are essential for investigating DNA replication, viral oncogenesis, and cellular transformation pathways. They are also widely used in biomanufacturing to increase the yield of recombinant proteins; the presence of SV40 LTA supports the episomal replication of SV40 origin-containing plasmids in host cells like HEK293T. This makes the CMV-SV40/LTA(Puro) system a versatile tool for cell engineering, drug screening, and the development of high-performance expression platforms where consistent cell growth and high-level protein synthesis are required.