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Points to bear in mind
Target cells have to be dividing to be infected.
The viral RNA/protein complex cannot enter the nucleus and has to wait for the nuclear membrane to dissolve at mitosis.
Typical protocol
The day before infection set up J2-3T3s in 6-well plates
We use J2-3T3s because they give nice discreet colonies after selection
They want to be 20-80% confluent on the day of infection
Some retrovirus cannot be titred on rodent cells such as 3T3. For example, packaging lines using the gibbon ape leukaemia virus (GALV) env protein must be titred on human cells.