A novel gene delivery system in plants with calcium alginate micro-beads.
We have produced micrometer-sized calcium alginate beads referred to as "bio-beads" that encapsulate plasmid DNA molecules carrying a reporter gene. In order to evaluate the efficiency of the bio-beads in mediating genetic transfection, protoplasts isolated from cultured tobacco cells (BY-2) were transfected with bio-beads containing a plasmid that carries the modified green fluorescent protein gene CaMV35S-sGFP. With the bio-beads treatment, approximately ten-fold higher GFP expression was observed after 24 h incubation compared to that with the conventional method using a naked plasmid solution. Transfection was up to 0.22% efficient. These results indicate that bio-beads have a possibility for efficient transformation in plants.
Sone
Takefumi
T
Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Nagamori
Eiji
E
Ikeuchi
Tomohiko
T
Mizukami
Atsushi
A
Takakura
Yukiko
Y
Kajiyama
Shin'ichiro
S
Fukusaki
Ei-Ichiro
E
Harashima
Satoshi
S
Kobayashi
Akio
A
Fukui
Kiichi
K