Lentiviral vectors are widely used to efficiently transduce both dividing and quiescent cells, which makes them powerful tools for gene delivery. Most commercially available lentiviral packaging systems generate lentivirus that integrates efficiently into the target cell genome as a provirus. However, non-integrating lentivirus can be produced through the use of mutations in the integrase protein that minimize proviral integration. The resulting integrase-deficient lentivirus (IDLV) generates circular vector episomes in transduced target cells that are gradually lost by dilution in dividing cells (transient expression), but are stable in quiescent cells. Inherently, IDLVs have a greatly reduced risk of causing insertional mutagenesis compared to integrating lentiviruses.
Lenti-X integrase-deficient systems are the only fourth generation lentiviral packaging systems (see video) for IDLV generation. The system contains a combination of five plasmids mixed in optimal proportions to provide the highest possible lentiviral titers when transfected into Lenti-X 293T cells.
Lenti-X Packaging Single Shots (Integrase-Deficient) provide a one-step production method to generate high-titer lentivirus. Each tube of Lenti-X Packaging Single Shots (Integrase-Deficient) contains pre-measured, lyophilized Xfect Transfection Reagent and an optimized formulation of Lenti-X lentiviral packaging plasmids. High-titer integrase-deficient lentivirus is produced by adding the lentiviral vector of choice in sterile water to the tube, reconstituting, and then using the mixture to transfect 293T cells in a 10-cm dish.