ENHANCED GENE-TRANSFER WITH FUSOGENIC LIPOSOMES CONTAINING VESICULAR STOMATITIS-VIRUS G-GLYCOPROTEIN

Exposure of Lipofectin-DNA complexes to the partially purified G glyco protein of the vesicular stomatitis virus envelope (VSV-G) results in loss of serum-mediated inhibition and in enhanced efficiency of gene t ransfer. Sucrose density gradient sedimentation analysis indicated tha t the VSV-G associates physically with the DNA-lipid complex to produc e a VSV-G liposome. The ability to incorporate surrogate viral or cell ular envelope components such as VSV-G into liposomes may allow more-e fficient and possibly targeted gene delivery by lipofection, both in v itro and in vivo.