Baculovirus Transfer Vectors

The production of a recombinant baculovirus expression vector normally involves mixing infectious virus DNA with a plasmid-based transfer vector and then cotransfecting insect cells to initiate virus infection. The aim of this chapter is to provide an update on the range of baculovirus transfer vectors currently available. It is impractical to list every transfer vector that has ever been used. Instead, we focus on those that are available commercially and should be easy to locate. These vectors permit the insertion of single or multiple genes for expression, or the production of proteins with specific peptide tags that aid subsequent protein purification. A table listing the transfer vectors also included information on the parental virus that should be used with each one. Recent developments in recombinant baculovirus production are also described. Some of these permit the direct insertion of a recombinant gene into the virus genome without the requirement for a transfer vector. The information provided should enable new users of the system to choose those reagents most suitable for their purposes.