Mammalian transfectants materials

Plasmid-based strategies have been developed to transfect cells, hopefully with fewer side effects. In contrast to vimses, plasmids did not evolve to transfer genetic material to mammalian cells, and therefore no active mechanisms of cellular uptake and transport to the nucleus exist. In order to increase the efficacy of gene transfer and protein expression, several modes of packing and transfection have been developed. The... 

The experiment performed by Avery and colleagues revealed the function of DNA via a natural process whereby a bacterium imported raw DNA, and after incorporating the DNA into its genetic material, cellular properties were consequently altered. Today, DNA is routinely inserted into many types of cells for the purpose of altering what cells do or produce. Cell transformation (bacterial) or transfection (mammalian) relies on exploiting the many natural DNA uptake, modification, and repair processes that cells use. This section first reviews the types of enzymes that can alter DNA, and then provides an example of their use in technological processes. 

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