COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS USEFUL FOR PRODUCTION OF RECOMBINANT VIRUSES WHICH REQUIRE HELPER VIRUSES

摘要

A method of producing recombinant viruses which require helper viruses forpackaging is provided. The method uses a recombinant helper virus which hasbeen designed to contain at least one rare-cutting restriction site (e.g., forI-SceI), a viral vector which is helper-dependent for packaging, and arecombinant host cell which is capable of expressing a rare-cuttingrestriction enzyme (e.g., I-SceI). The method involves transfecting orinfecting the host cell with the helper virus and viral vector and incubatingthe cell under conditions which permit encapsidation of the viral vector in anadenovirus capside. Thereafter, the I-SceI expressed by the host cell digeststhe helper virus, permitting ready separation of the digested fragments of thehelper virus from the packaged recombinant virus.