Methods and vector constructs useful for production of recombinant AAV

1. A recombinant host cell containing

(a) a first nucleic acid molecule comprising a parvovirus P5 promoter in its native configuration with response to wild-type AAV, an AAV rep gene sequence, an AAV cap gene sequence, and a space of sufficient size to reduce expression of the rep78 and rep68 gene products relative to other rep gene products, wherein said spacer is heterologous to said promoter and is interposed between said promoter and the start site of the rep gene;

(b) a second nucleic acid molecule comprising a minigene comprising a transgene flanked by AAV inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) and under the control of regulatory sequences directing expression thereof in a host cell; and

(c) helper functions essential to the replication and packaging of rAAV;

wherein the nucleic acid of (a) or (b) is selected from the group consisting of a plasmid, a recombinant virus, and an episome.

2. The cell according to claim 1 wherein said spacer sequence is between about 10 bp to 10 kb in length.

3. The cell according to claim 1 wherein said spacer sequence is between 100 bp to 3.8 kb in length.

4. The cell according to claim 1 wherein said spacer sequence is about 500 bp in length.

5. The cell according to claim 1 wherein said spacer sequence is a random sequence of nucleotides.

6. The cell according to claim 1 wherein said spacer sequence encodes a gene product.

7. The cell according to claim 1 wherein said first nucleic acid molecule is selected from the group consisting of a plasmid, a recombinant virus, and an episome.

8. The cell according to claim 1 wherein said first nucleic acid molecule is integrated into the chromosome of said cell.

9. The cell according to claim 1 wherein said parvovirus P5 promoter is from a strain of AAV selected from the group consisting of AAV type 1, AAV type 2, AAV type H1.

10. The cell according to claim 1 wherein said rep gene sequences are from AAV type 1 or AAV type 5.

11. The cell according to claim 1 wherein said second nucleic acid molecule is selected from the group consisting of a plasmid, a recombinant virus, and an episome.

12. The cell according to claim 1 wherein said second nucleic acid molecule is integrated into the chromosome of said cell.

13. The cell according to claim 1 wherein said helper functions are provided by a third nucleic acid molecule.

14. A recombinant host cell containing

(a) a first nucleic acid molecule comprising parvovirus P5 promoter in its native configuration with respect to wild-type AAV, an AAV rep gene sequence, an AAV cap gene sequence, and a spacer of sufficient size to reduce expression of the rep78 and rep68 gene products relative to other rep gene products, wherein said spacer is heterologous to said promoter and is interposed between said promoter and the start site of the rep gene;

(b) a second nucleic acid molecule comprising a minigene comprising a transgene flanked by AAV inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) and under the control of regulatory sequences directing expression thereof in a host cell; and

(c) helper functions essential to the replication and packaging of rAAV provided by a third nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of a plasma, a recombinant or wild-type virus, and an episome.

15. The cell according to claim 13 wherein said third nucleic acid molecule is integrated into the chromosome of said cell.

16. The cell according to claim 1 which is derived from a HEK 293 cell.

17. A method for producing recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV), said method comprising the steps of

(a) culturing a recombinant host cell according to claim 1 ; and

(b) isolating from said cell or cell culture, a recombinant AAV capable of expressing said transgene.