Higly fusogenic cationic liposomes transiently permeabilize the plasma membrane of HeLa cells

Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters

Jerzy Gubernator³  Paulina Wyrozumska²  Aleksander F. Sikorski¹  Katarzyna Stebelska² 

[1] Laboratory of Cytobiochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland$$Academic Centre for Biotechnology of Lipid Aggregates, Wrocław, Poland$$;Laboratory of Cytobiochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland$$;Academic Centre for Biotechnology of Lipid Aggregates, Wrocław, Poland$$

关键词: Cationic liposomes;    Fusion;    Transfection;    Plasma membrane integrity;   

DOI  :  10.2478/s11658-006-0049-8

学科分类：分子生物学，细胞生物学和基因

来源: Uniwersytet Wroclawski * Wydzial Biotechnologii / University of Wroclaw, Faculty of Biotechnology

【 摘 要 】

Cationic liposomes can efficiently carry nucleic acids into mammalian cells. This property is tightly connected with their ability to fuse with negatively charged natural membranes (i.e. the plasma membrane and endosomal membrane). We used FRET to monitor and compare the efficiency of lipid mixing of two liposomal preparations — one of short-chained diC14-amidine and one of long-chained unsaturated DOTAP — with the plasma membrane of HeLa cells. The diC14-amidine liposomes displayed a much higher susceptibility to lipid mixing with the target membranes. They disrupted the membrane integrity of the HeLa cells, as detected using the propidium iodide permeabilization test. Morphological changes were transient and essentially did not affect the viability of the HeLa cells. The diC14-amidine liposomes were much more effective at either inducing lipid mixing or facilitating transfection.

【 授权许可】

Unknown