title: Novel fusogenic liposomes for fluorescent cell labeling and membrane modification.
abstract: Efficient delivery of biomolecules into membranes of living cells as well as cell surface modifications are major biotechnological challenges. Here, novel liposome systems based on neutral and cationic lipids in combination with lipids modified by aromatic groups are introduced for such applications. The fusion efficiency of these liposome systems was tested on single cells in culture like HEK293, myofibroblasts, cortical neurons, human macrophages, smooth muscle cells, and even on tissue. Fusogenic liposomes enabled highly efficient incorporation of molecules into mammalian cell membranes within 1 to 30 min at fully unchanged cell growth conditions and did not affect cell behavior. We hypothesize that membrane fusions were induced in all cases by the interaction of the positively charged lipids and the delocalized electron system of the aromatic group generating local dipoles and membrane instabilities. Selected applications ranging from basic research to biotechnology are envisaged here.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bio- and Nanosystems, IBN-4, Biomechanics, and Institute of Solid State Research, IFF-5, Neutron Scattering, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Csiszár
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hersch
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dieluweit
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Biehl
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Merkel
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry; D008081:Liposomes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D015394:Molecular Structure; D058628:Myofibroblasts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D008081:Liposomes