Infection efficiency of rat chondrocytes using different hybrids of recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors

Abstract

AIM: To investigate the best serotype of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) that leads to optimum chondrocyte infection, in an endeavour to create an appropriate delivery system for future gene therapy to regulate condylar growth. MATERIALS AND METHOD: rAAV2/1, rAAV2/2, rAAV2/5, rAAV2/6, and rAAV2/8 vectors expressing eGFP under the control of CAG (cytomegalovirus enhancer plus chicken β-actin) promoter were used to infect primary chondrocytes (isolated from rat mandibular condyles) at a multiplicity of infection of 5 × 104. The infection effi ciency for these cells with different hybrids was identifi ed using fl uorescence microscopy and fl ow cytometric analysis. RESULTS: All of the selected serotypes of RAAV infected rat chondrocytes and gave rise to GFP expression. The infection effi ciency was RAAV2/2 > RAAV2/5 > RAAV2/1 > RAAV2/8 = RAAV2/6. CONCLUSIONS: rAAV based vectors are capable of infecting rat chondrocytes. rAAV2/2 is the best serotype to infect chondrocytes in vitro and might thus be of interest for direct gene delivery to condylar cartilage in vivo.