Production of Replication-Defective Retrovirus by Transient Transfection of 293T cells

Summary

This technique demonstrates an efficient way to prepare replication-defective retroviral stocks encoding a human oncogene, and subsequently used for induction of myeloproliferative disease in the mouse model.

Abstract

Our lab studies human myeloproliferative diseases induced by such oncogenes as Bcr-Abl or growth factor receptor-derived oncogenes (ZNF198-FGFR1, Bcr-PDGFRα, etc.). We are able to model and study a human-like disease in our mouse model, by transplanting bone marrow cells previously infected with a retrovirus expressing the oncogene of interest. Replication-defective retrovirus encoding a human oncogene and a marker (GFP, RFP, antibiotic resistance gene, etc.) is produced by a transient transfection protocol using 293T cells, a human renal epithelial cell line transformed by the adenovirus E1A gene product. 293 cells have the unusual property of being highly transfectable by calcium phosphate (CaPO₄), with up to 50-80% transfection efficiency readily attainable. Here, we co-transfect 293 cells with a retroviral vector expressing the oncogene of interest and a plasmid that expresses the gag-pol-env packaging functions, such as the single-genome packaging constructs kat or pCL, in this case the EcoPak plasmid. The initial transfection is further improved by use of chloroquine. Stocks of ecotropic virus, collected as culture supernatant 48 hrs. post-transfection, can be stored at -80°C and used for infection of cell-lines in view of transformation and in vitro studies, or primary cells such as mouse bone marrow cells, that can then be used for transplant in our mouse model.

Protocol

The evening before transformation, plate 293T cells at 3-5×106 cells/6 cm tissue cultureplate. Note: We use 293T cells for their ease of transfection and efficacyas virus producing cells. These cells are deficient in packaging the virus unless a helper plasmid is introduced. The first morning, gently remove medium and replace with 4 ml 293T cell med containing 25 mM Chloroquine. Put in incubator for 1 hr.Note: the plate should be about 80% confluent.<…

Discussion

Four critical points will assure the success of a good viral stock:
   

1. The 293T producing cells have to be very healthy, meaning they have been split on a very regular schedule, were never overgrown, and are plated at the optimized density of 3.5-5 million per 6 cm tissue culture plate, so that they reach a density of 80% of the plate on the morning of the transfection. 
   
2. Addition of chloroquine improves transfection efficiency and subsequent virus titer, about 3- …

Materials

Material Name	Type	Company	Catalogue Number	Comment
293T cells	cell-line			Split 1:3 to 1:4 every 3 days, otherwise they will tend to clump with replating and will not transfect as well.
293T cell medium				DMEM/hi-glu + 10 % FBS + 1% Pen/Strep + 1% L-Glutamine (1% NEAA, optional). We obtain our tissue culture slutions from CellGro.
coding DNA plasmid				Twice purified by CsCl. MSCV backbone, encoding oncogene and marker of choice (Neo, GFP, etc.)
EcoPak				also called pMCV-Ecopac: ecotropic packaging plasmid, encoding gag-pol-env
2x HBS				For 500 ml: 8.0 g NaCl + 0.37 g KCl + 106.5 mg Na2HPO4 (anhydrous; 201.1 mg if 7xH2O) + 1.0 g dextrose (D-glucose) + 5.0 g HEPES powder. Dissolve in 450 ml dH2O (milli-Q), adjust pH to 7.05 with NaOH, then complete to 500 ml with dH2O. Sterile filter thru 0.45 µ filter. Store at room temperature, with the cap on tight.
2M CaCl2		Sigma
miliQ H2O				sterile-filtered
Chloroquine				1000x stock is 25 mM in PBS- (w/o Ca2+/Mg2+), stored at -20C. Add fresh to the medium when needed.
6 cm plates				for tissue culture
Incubator				for tissue culture. Set at 37C, 10% CO2.
10 cc sterile syringes				Sterile. One per virus type.
18G needles				single use, one per virus type.
45 um syringe filters
5 ml plastic tubes				Sterile, to mix transfection solution, for up to 2 plates at a time (2 ml). We use Falcon tubes.
50 ml conical tubes
cryovials				2 and 4 ml, for virus aliquots.

All reagents used in the transfection must be sterile-filtered (CaCl₂, 2x HBS, miliQ H₂O) and kept sterile.