title: A cationic lipid for rapid and efficient delivery of plasmid DNA into mammalian cells.
abstract: Cationic lipids are widely used for gene transfer into cultured eukaryotic cells. However, lipids with potent transfection activity are often associated with high levels of cytotoxicity, and also require serum-free conditions for optimal performance. These characteristics in many cases result in unsatisfactory transfection efficiency. In this report, we describe a new cationic amphiphile, N-t-butyl-N'-tetradecyl-3-tetradecylaminopropionamidine (Amidine). Amidine requires only 1-2 hour incubation intervals to produce maximal transfection efficiency, and can transfect cells in the presence of serum. Such characteristics significantly minimize cytotoxicity, and also provide time flexibility for researchers. We routinely obtain over 80% transfection efficiency as evidenced by use of an enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) as the reporter. These studies demonstrate the utility of Amidine for rapid and efficient transfection of mammalian cells.
authors.affiliation: Clontech Laboratories, Inc., Palo Alto, California 94303, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gurtu
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kain
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D006224:Cricetinae; D008055:Lipids; D008322:Mammals; D010957:Plasmids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids