In vivo transfection of murine lungs with a functioning prokaryotic gene using a liposome vehicle.
The authors report successful in vivo transfection of lungs of mice with a functioning prokaryotic gene encoding the intracellular enzyme, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). Transfection was accomplished by injecting a plasmid containing the coding region for CAT driven by the SV40 early promoter (pSV2CAT) complexed to specially synthesized cationic liposomes. Intravenous or intratracheal injection of DNA-liposomes resulted in expression of the CAT gene in the lungs, persisting for at least a week, with little enzyme activity detectable in systemic organs. This method should permit either transient or stable in vivo transfection of the lungs with a gene encoding any protein of interest, providing a powerful experimental tool and potentially a novel and broadly applicable clinical therapeutic technique.
Brigham
K L
KL
Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee.
Meyrick
B
B
Christman
B
B
Magnuson
M
M
King
G
G
Berry
L C
LC
D000107:Acetylation; D000818:Animals; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D008081:Liposomes / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008722:Methods; D051379:Mice; D014162:Transfection
D008081:Liposomes; D004247:DNA; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase