LECTIN CONJUGATE-DIRECTED GENE-TRANSFER TO AIRWAY EPITHELIAL-CELLS

Many cell surface receptors contain covalently linked carbohydrates re cognizable by lectins. This study examined the feasibility of using le ctins as gene delivery vectors. Polylysine PL) and histone (His) conju gates of concanavalin A (Con A), Maackia amurensis agglutinin (MAA), S ambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA), and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), were employed to deliver pCMVlacZ to human airway epithelial cells (CFT1). As compared to the control (=1.0), the beta-galactosidase activities e xpressed in CFT1 cells transfected with lectin-PL/His-DNA containing 5 mu g/ml conjugate and 10 mu g/ml DNA were: Con A-His, 7.7; SNA-His, 3 .5; Con A-FL, 2.4; WGA-PL/His, 1.3; others, 1.0. The efficiency of gen e transfer directed by Con A-His was dose dependent between 2.5 and 10 mu g/ml of the conjugate. The maximal beta-galactosidase activity exp ressed relative to the control was 42 obtained using 10 mu g/ml conjug ate. These results demonstrate that lectin-PL/His conjugates can be us ed as vectors to transfer genes to airway epithelial cells. (C) 1994 A cademic Press, Inc.