title: A novel gene delivery system in plants with calcium alginate micro-beads.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Takefumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sone
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nagamori
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikeuchi
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mizukami
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takakura
authors.forename: Shin'ichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kajiyama
authors.forename: Ei-Ichiro
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fukusaki
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harashima
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Kiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukui