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DNA Release from Lipoplexes by Anionic Lipids: Correlation with Lipid Mesomorphism, Interfacial Curvature, and Membrane Fusion

Yury S. Tarahovsky ^* , Rumiana Koynova ^* and Robert C. MacDonald ^*

^* Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208 USA; and Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russian Federation

Correspondence: Address reprint requests to Robert MacDonald, Dept. of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology, 2205 Tech Dr., Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208. Tel.: 847-491-5062; Fax: 847-467-1380; Email: macd{at}northwestern.edu.

DNA release from lipoplexes is an essential step during lipofection and is probably a result of charge neutralization by cellular anionic lipids. As a model system to test this possibility, fluorescence resonance energy transfer between DNA and lipid covalently labeled with Cy3 and BODIPY, respectively, was used to monitor the release of DNA from lipid surfaces induced by anionic liposomes. The separation of DNA from lipid measured this way was considerably slower and less complete than that estimated with noncovalently labeled DNA, and depends on the lipid composition of both lipoplexes and anionic liposomes. This result was confirmed by centrifugal separation of released DNA and lipid. X-ray diffraction revealed a clear correlation of the DNA release capacity of the anionic lipids with the interfacial curvature of the mesomorphic structures developed when the anionic and cationic liposomes were mixed. DNA release also correlated with the rate of fusion of anionic liposomes with lipoplexes. It is concluded that the tendency to fuse and the phase preference of the mixed lipid membranes are key factors for the rate and extent of DNA release. The approach presented emphasizes the importance of the lipid composition of both lipoplexes and target membranes and suggests optimal transfection may be obtained by tailoring lipoplex composition to the lipid composition of target cells.

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