A. Kichler et al., EFFICIENT GENE DELIVERY WITH NEUTRAL COMPLEXES OF LIPOSPERMINE AND THIOL-REACTIVE PHOSPHOLIPIDS, Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 209(2), 1995, pp. 444-450
The presence of thiol-reactive phospholipid derivatives, such as N-4-(
p-maleimidophenyl)butyryl) dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (MPB-DP
PE), in electrically neutral lipospermine/DNA particles results in mor
e than a 100-fold increased transfection efficiency of human hepatoma
HepG2 cells and murine 3T3 fibroblasts. These effects could be ascribe
d to the presence of thiol-reactive functions, such as maleimide, brom
oacetamide and dithiopyridyl linkage, on the transfecting particles. W
e propose that such particles react with thiol groups present at the s
urface of the cells, leading to their covalent anchoring a process tha
t is probably followed by an endocytosis of the complex. (C) 1995 Acad
emic Press, Inc.