Culture of 293 cells for the package of adeno-associated viruses

Jiajun WEI; Suming ZHANG; Jinzhi XU

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

As a main gene engineering vector, adeno-associated virus (AAV) is characterized by its extensive host cells, lasting and stable expression and less immune response to hosts, and is applied widely. But AAV is a kind of defective virus, and need incasing cells to supply E1 protein. As important and special AAV incasing cells, AAV-293 cells can produce E1 in trans. But AAV-293 cells are delicated and cultivated difficultly, and the biological character is easy to be changed. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a culture method of AAV-293 cells to meet the need of gene engineering.

OBJECTIVE:

To establish a culture method of AAV-293 cells in vitro.

DESIGN:

An opening study.

SETTING:

Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology.MATERIALS AAV-293 cells line was provided by Stratagene Corporation; high-carbohydrate OMEM (H-DMEM) powder by Gibco Company; there plasmids in AAV Helper-Free by Stratagene Company.

METHODS:

This experiment was carried out in the neurology laboratory of Tongji Hospital in Wuhan during the period from October 2006 to April 2007. AAV-293 cells were resuscitated and cultivated with H-DMEM growth medium in vitro, and were passaged and stored in liquid nitrogen when the cells monolayer confluence reached 50%. At the same time, their growing state was observed by inverted microscope, and their growth curve was noted. According to whether AAV-293 cells could give out green fluorescence or not (observed by fluorescence inverted microscope) after they were cotransfected with the there AAV system plasmids and infected with AAV supernatant, their biological character of packing AAV was assessed.MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

① Morphological observation of AAV-293 cells; ② the growth curve; ③ the package of AAV.

RESULTS:

① AAV-293 cells observed by fluorescence inverted microscope were growing adhesively well with irregular polygons, light endochylemas and ambiguous nuclei appearances. ②The growth curve showed that the growing adaptive phase was the first day after AAV-293 cells were passaged, the actively growing phase was from the second day to the fifth day, and the growing platform phase was after the sixth day. ③ AAV-293 cells with green fluorescence observed by fluorescence inverted microscope, and cotransfection of the there AAV system plasmids was successful. AAV-293 cells gave out green fluorescence after infected with AAV supernatant, and AAV package succeeded.

CONCLUSION:

The culture method established by the authors in the experiment is simple and useful, and the cultured AAV-293 cells remain a good function of AAV package.