Provided are novel vectors comprising virus or viral portions in which biological function is effected by components on the surface or envelope. Biological function includes viral nucleic acid propagation and delivery in the same vector as well as other important functions such as enhanced target cell specificity and other favorable properties for endocytosis, nuclear localization, integration into the target cell genome and enhanced transduction efficiency functions. Also provided by this invention are chimeric cells useful as packaging cell lines or as target cells or even as both. By virtue of their unique sequences, such chimeric cells provide the machinery for viral nucleic acid propagation and packaging combined with other useful properties for delivering genetic information to any target cells of interest. Also provided are other vectors including those comprising initial nucleic acid wherein the initial nucleic acid has been modified and novel reconstituted vectors and fused vectors.
