Retroviral Expression and Packaging

Our retroviral packaging cell lines allow you to produce high-titer retrovirus using two methods:

  • Platinum (Plat) cell lines provide a powerful, stable method for producing high levels of retroviral structure proteins. Plat-E and Plat-A cells stably express the gag, pol, and env genes, allowing retroviral packaging with a single plasmid transfection to produce recombinant ecotropic and amphotropic virus, respectively. Pantropic retrovirus may also be produced by transfecting Plat-GP cells with the expression vector and a second vector containing VSV-G.
  • Our 293RTV cell line is a permanent cell line established from the parental 293 cell line and selected for high-yield retroviral production. This cell line stably expresses the SV40 large T antigen, and will package retrovirus upon transfection with gag, pol, and env vectors plus an expression vector containing your gene of interest. These packaging vectors are available individually.

Our retroviral expression vectors are available with a variety of backbones for general gene expression purposes or specific transduction of stem cells.

For your convenience, Platinum Retroviral Expression Complete Systems contain both a Platinum packaging cell line and the vectors required for efficient packaging of high-titer retrovirus.