OBJECTIVETo construct a lentivirus vector carrying wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and evaluate its ability of tracing WGA in the brain of mice with ischemic brain injury.

METHODSWGA gene was inserted into the lentiviral vector Plvx IRES-ZsGreen1 using genetic engineering methods. 293T cells were transfected with the vector and 3 packaging plasmids (RPEV, PRRE, and VSVG) to obtain the recombinant lentivirus for infection of human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs). The infected hADSCs were injected into the damaged brain area by in situ injection in a mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and the expression of GFP was traced.

RESULTSImmunofluorescence identification detected WGA protein expression in the infected hADSCs, which survived in the infarct area of mice with MCAO.

CONCLUSIONPackaging WGA gene in lentivirus is a reliable approach to allow efficient neuroanatomical tracing of various cells.