title: Gene delivery system based on highly specific recognition of surface-vimentin with N-acetylglucosamine immobilized polyethylenimine.
abstract: Gene and drug-delivery systems that use immobilization of carbohydrates are useful for the specific targeting of lectin-expressing tissues. Here, we report that N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) with polyethylenimine (GlcNAc-PEI) specifically interacted with vimentin-expressing cells such as 293FT and HeLa cells. Recently, the intermediate filaments vimentin and desmin have been reported to have GlcNAc-binding lectin-like properties on the cell surface. Therefore, GlcNAc-conjugated agents can be targeted to vimentin- and desmin-expressing cells and tissues. Vimentin-expressing 293FT and HeLa cells were efficiently transfected with green fluorescent protein and luciferase genes by using GlcNAc-PEI; the expression of these genes in vimentin-knockdown cells were low. Confocal microscopic analysis showed that GlcNAc-PEI complexes interacted with vimentin on the cell surface of HeLa cells. These results demonstrate that GlcNAc-PEI/DNA complexes were specifically taken up by 293FT and HeLa cells via vimentin. We suggest that this gene-delivery system could be used to target various vimentin-expressing cells such as fibroblasts and tumor cells.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: Sun-Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hirohiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ise
authors.forename: Mitsuaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Kenta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Komura
authors.forename: Chong-Su
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akaike
mesh_terms: D000117:Acetylglucosamine / Q000737:chemistry*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D011094:Polyethyleneimine / Q000737:chemistry*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014746:Vimentin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014746:Vimentin; D011094:Polyethyleneimine; D000117:Acetylglucosamine