Electrostimulated uptake of DNA by liposomes.

High molecular mass DNA was efficiently taken up by large unilamellar vesicles exposed to a short pulse of electric field (0.1-1 ms) with an intensity as high as 12.5 kV/cm. The efficiency of uptake increased significantly in presence of Mg2+ ions and was approximately 0.6 and 1.5 micrograms of DNA per mumol of lipid for T7 DNA and plasmid pBR 322, respectively. The results presented indicate that DNA was taken up as a result of the electrostimulated formation of endosome-like vesicles rather than via field-induced membrane pores.