DNA delivery

For a detailed discussion of DNA delivery systems, readers are referred to the recent very comprehensive review by Walden (1988). Here we concentrate on the two methods most used in stress tolerance studies. 

One of the exciting features of the direct DNA delivery system is that it does not rely on an infection. The limited host range of other vector delivery systems is therefore irrelevant, and the way is opened for genetic engineering of cereals. Cereal protoplasts are equally amenable to uptake of foreign DNA after electroporation and the system therefore has potential for use with the major crop species. However, there is at present one drawback, namely that for cereals it has not yet proved possible to grow fertile whole plants from the genetically transformed cells. 

Such hydrogels have been suggested to be suitable for biotechnological applications (DNA delivery vehicles, cell encapsulation) [28]. Recently, amphiphilic dibock copolypeptide hydrogels of KigoL2o were used in an in vivo study where the hydrogels were injected into the mouse forebrain. Evaluation of samples displayed substantial tissue integration with little or no detectable toxicity in the central nervous system [148]. 

Oupicky D, Parker AL, Seymour LW (2002) Laterally stabilized complexes of DNA with linear reducible polycations strategy for triggered intracellular activation of DNA delivery vectors. J Am Chem Soc 124 8-9... 

Kim YH, Gihm SH, Park CR et al (2001) Structural characteristics of size-controlled selfaggregates of deoxycholic acid-modified chitosan and their application as a DNA delivery carrier. Bioconjug Chem 12 932-938... 

Lee PW, Peng SF, Su CJ et al (2008) The use of biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles in combination with a low-pressure gene gun for transdermal DNA delivery. Biomaterials 29 742-751... 

Phillips, A. 2001. The challenge of gene therapy and DNA delivery. Journal of Pharmacy and pharmacology. 53(9), 1169-1174. 

S. Gottschalk, R. J. Cristiano, L. C. Smith, and S. L. Woo. Folate receptor mediated DNA delivery into tumor cells potosomal disruption results in enhanced gene expression. Gene Then 1 185-191 (1994). 

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