Transfection into eukaryotic cells - (Jun/04/2010 )

Hello I have a general question. When you transfect in a plasmid into a cell culture (S2 cells for example), does the plasmid enter the nucleus on its own? I assume it does because that is where the transcriptional machinery is.

Thank you

Hi,

When I view cells live over a period of 24 hours after adding transfectant and GFP-fusion coding plasmid, I see that they begin expressing immediately after mitosis. It is therefore my understanding that the plasmid enters the nucleus during while there is no nuclear envelope, and is then present after the nucleus re-forms.

regards, Benny.