Synapsin-iCre Lentivirus

Principles of lentiviral infection 1. Recognition and binding of viruses to cells: Lentivirus particles carry specific glycoproteins (such as VSV-G) on their surface, which can recognize and bind to specific receptors on the surface of host cells. This recognition process is highly specific, ensuring that the virus can accurately infect the target cell. 2. Virus enters the cell: Once the virus binds to the cell surface receptor, the virus particles enter the cell through endocytosis. During endocytosis, the virus particles are encapsulated in a vesicle called an endosome, and then the viral envelope fuses with the endosome membrane to release the viral genetic material (RNA) into the cytoplasm. 3. Reverse transcription process: Lentivirus is an RNA virus whose genetic material is single-stranded RNA. In the cytoplasm, the viral RNA is transcribed into double-stranded DNA (cDNA) under the action of reverse transcriptase. This process is a key step in viral replication, which allows the viral genetic information to exist in the form of DNA, facilitating subsequent integration into the host cell genome. 4. Integration of viral DNA into the host cell genome: The cDNA generated by reverse transcription is transported into the cell nucleus and integrated into the host cell genome under the action of integrase. The integration process is achieved by recombination of specific sequences at both ends of the viral DNA (called long terminal repeats, LTR) with specific locations of the host cell genome. Once the integration is complete, the viral DNA becomes part of the host cell genome and replicates as the host cell divides. 5. Expression of exogenous genes: After integration into the host cell genome, the exogenous genes in the viral DNA (i.e., the target genes inserted) will begin to express under the regulation of the host cell's transcription and translation systems. Since the exogenous gene has been integrated into the host cell genome, it can continue to express as the host cell divides, achieving long-term and stable gene expression effects.