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Available Lentiviral Pseudotyped Envelopes
A lentivirus pseudotyped envelope refers to the viral surface glycoprotein used to coat a lentiviral vector, which determines how the virus enters cells, which cell types it can infect, and how stable the virus is. It is one of the most important design choices in lentiviral vector production.
What “pseudotyping” means
Native HIV-1 uses its own envelope (gp120/gp41), but lentiviral vectors do not. Instead, they are produced with a heterologous viral envelope protein supplied on a separate plasmid. This process is called pseudotyping.
It lets you:
- Change tropism (which cells can be infected)
- Improve particle stability
- Enable concentration and in vivo delivery
- Avoid using HIV envelope for biosafety
Why the envelope is so important
The pseudotyped envelope controls four critical properties:
| Property | Controlled by envelope |
|---|---|
| Cell targeting | Which receptors the virus binds |
| Entry mechanism | Endocytosis vs membrane fusion |
| Stability | Whether virus survives centrifugation & freezing |
| In vivo performance | Liver, CNS, tumor, immune cell targeting |
Your lentivector genome stays the same — only the envelope protein changes the biology.
Most common pseudotyped envelopes
1. VSV-G (Vesicular stomatitis virus G)
The gold standard.
- Infects almost all mammalian cells
- Very stable (tolerates ultracentrifugation)
- Works for in vitro and in vivo
- High titers
Used for:
HEK293, neurons, stem cells, tumor cells, mouse injections, organoids
2. RD114 (feline endogenous retrovirus)
Preferred for human hematopoietic cells.
- Targets human hematopoietic receptors
- Low complement inactivation
- Better for CAR-T, HSCs
3. Baboon retrovirus envelope (BaEV)
High-efficiency transduction of immune cells.
- Excellent for T cells, NK cells
- Used in immunotherapy vectors
4. Measles virus H/F
Receptor-targetable envelopes.
- Can be engineered to bind CD20, CD38, etc
- Enables cell-specific targeting
How it is used in lentivirus production
In a 3rd-generation system (what SignaGen uses), the envelope is provided on a separate plasmid:
| Plasmid | Function |
|---|---|
| Transfer vector | Your gene |
| Packaging plasmids | Gag, Pol, Rev |
| Envelope plasmid | VSV-G, RD114, BaEV, etc |
The envelope protein is incorporated into the viral membrane as particles bud from the producer cells.
Why this matters to your customers
The envelope determines:
- Whether neurons, T cells, or stem cells get infected
- Whether virus survives concentration
- Whether in vivo injection works
- Whether neutralizing antibodies will block entry
Two lentiviruses with identical genomes but different envelopes behave like completely different viruses.
In simple terms
Think of the lentivirus as a delivery drone:
- The genome is the package
- The capsid is the box
- The pseudotyped envelope is the GPS and door key
Change the envelope → you change where it can go and what it can enter.
Please contact us at info@signagen.com to discuss your lentivirus project
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