Development of efficient viral delivery systems in fish

The use of viral delivery systems as a tool for foreign gene expression has provided an invaluable resource in a variety of mammalian species. However, this tool is not well established in other vertebrates particularly in fish. To this end, we are developing effective viral systems in fish cells, using the turquoise killifish, Carp, Tilapia, and Fathead minnow. In our first approach, we improved lentiviral titers and increased infection efficiency of up to 50%. Next, to increase viral payload, we turned to baculoviruses that can deliver large DNA segments into cells without genomic integration. We designed and produced different types of Bacuolviruses, mainly by pseudotyping the envelope G-protein from VSVG to VSV-GED. We showed that the VSV-GED construct is more efficient in fish when compared to the traditional VSVG G-protein. Currently, we are exploring viral delivery in-vivo, Successful delivery systems could provide a powerful approach for functional interrogation of fish physiology.