BRAINCAKELiposome Wrapping
Liposome wrapping is a way of getting DNA into cells without using a virus. It is used mainly for animal cells, including in human gene therapy.
Liposomes are small spheres surrounded by a phospholipid bilayer, like a tiny artificial vesicle. For gene delivery, positively charged (cationic) lipids are used because they bind to the negatively charged phosphate groups of DNA.
How it works
1. The DNA, often in a plasmid, is mixed with the lipids, which form liposomes around it.
2. Because the liposome membrane is made of phospholipids like the cell surface membrane, the liposome fuses with the membrane or is taken in by endocytosis.
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Key terms in this lesson
- endocytosis
- The process by which a cell takes in material from outside by engulfing it within a vesicle formed from the cell surface membrane.
More in Gene Technology
- Producing Recombinant DNA
- Identifying Transformed Organisms
- Vectors
- Gene Guns
- Microinjection
- Gene Silencing
- Transgenic Plants
- Cloning Plants
All 17 lessons in Gene Technology · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics