lipofectamine - role in transfection (Nov/10/2006 )
hi,
i search for this qn before posting it here, but all what i found are just products and procedures.......i know that lipofectamine is used in transfection, but it's nature, and what it's role in transfections ... 
thanx in advance 
Briefly:
Lipofectamine is the commercial name for DOSPA, a polycationic synthetic lipid, mixed with phosphatidyl-ethanolamine or DOPE, a fusogenic lipid with an amine-group. This lipid mixture forms DNA-lipid complexes due to ionic interactions between the head group of the lipid, with a strong positive charge, that neutralizes the negative charge of phosphate groups of DNA. Mixture lipid-DNA results in the formation of structures that fuse and pass across the plasma membrane to deliver DNA into the cell. Lipofectamine is less toxic for cells than monocationic lipids such as lipofectin.
Just to have a graphical representation of what aleriuz said: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...2005-30,TSHA:en
thanx guys v. much...
but isn't the lipofectamine in the representation a liposome!
but isn't the lipofectamine in the representation a liposome!
What you see in the reprsentation ia a cationic lipid as lipofectamine is...
Cationic lipids form this kind of structures, inglobating DNA inside and mediating membrane passage...
aha.....got it now
in other words, we can say that lipofectamine is a carrier to transport DNA into cells..right!
in other words, we can say that lipofectamine is a carrier to transport DNA into cells..right!
Exactly!
appreciate your help..