hat is a lentiviral vector and how is this different from a standard cloning vector?
A lentiviral vector contains the genetic elements that enable a copy of it to be packaged into a viral particle when it is present in a cell line that expresses the other viral particle components, such as the coat proteins (i.e., a packaging cell line). For example, a lentiviral vector contains the critical portions of the long terminal repeat (LTR) sequences, which are necessary to express the packaged portion of the vector. Standard vectors cannot be packaged into viral particles. The advantage of packaging the vector into a viral particle is transduction (infection with biologically-inactive viral particles) is a much more effective way to deliver an expression construct, than typical transfection methods. When SBIs pFIV lentiviral expression vectors are packaged into VSV-G pseudotyped viral particles (using the pFIV-PACK System) they robustly transduce almost any mammalian cells, including non-dividing cells and whole model organisms.
