Atomic force microscopy for studying gene transfection mediated by cationic liposomes with a cationic cholesterol derivative

FEBS Letters

Nakanishi, Mamoru¹  Furuno, Tadahide¹  Kawaura, Chiyo¹  Noguchi, Ari¹ 

[1] Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Tanabe-dori, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467, Japan

关键词: Cationic liposome;    Gene transfection;    Atomic force microscopy;    Cationic cholesterol;    Endocytosis;   

DOI  :  10.1016/S0014-5793(97)01532-9

学科分类：生物化学/生物物理

来源: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

【 摘 要 】

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used for studying gene transfection mediated by cationic liposomes which contain a cationic cholesterol derivative with a different spacer arm. Cationic liposomes were made by a mixture of one of eight cationic cholesterol derivatives and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidyl ethanolamine (DOPE). AFM images showed that vesicles made of the liposome/DNA complex had various diameters depending on each cationic cholesterol derivative with a different spacer arm. The results showed that the diameter of the liposome/DNA complex was well related to the transfection activity of plasmid pSV2CAT DNA to a cultured cell line (NIH3T3). From the results it was found that the vesicles with moderate diameters (from 0.4 to 1.4 μm) were moste effective for gene transfection of plasmid pSV2CAT DNA into the target cell. Neither smaller vesicles (<400 nm) nor larger vesicles (>1.4 μm) were adequate for gene transfection. As the gene transfection by the cationic liposomes was mostly inhibited by wortmannin, an inhibitor of endocytosis, it is suggested that the vesicles with moderate diameters were useful for gene transfection by endocytosis.

【 授权许可】

Unknown