Viral vector

Viral vector

A viral vector is a tool commonly used by molecular biologists to deliver genetic material into cells. This process can be performed inside a living organism (in vivo) or in cell culture (in vitro). Viruses have evolved specialized molecular mechanisms to efficiently transport their genomes inside the cells they infect. Delivery of genes by a virus is termed transduction and the infected cells are described as transduced.

Types of viral vectors[edit | edit source]

Retroviral vectors[edit | edit source]

Retroviral vectors, derived from retroviruses, are one of the most commonly used types of viral vectors. Retroviruses are a type of virus that replicates its RNA genome by reverse transcription to produce DNA, which is then integrated into the host's genome.

Adenoviral vectors[edit | edit source]

Adenoviral vectors are derived from adenoviruses, which are DNA viruses that do not integrate their DNA into the host genome. Instead, the DNA forms a separate episome in the nucleus of the host cell, where it is transcribed and translated.

Adeno-associated viral vectors[edit | edit source]

Adeno-associated viral vectors are derived from adeno-associated viruses. These vectors are unique because they can integrate their DNA into a specific site in the human genome.

Applications[edit | edit source]

Viral vectors have many applications in various fields such as gene therapy, vaccine development, and basic biological research.

References[edit | edit source]

Viral vector Resources
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