Studies on internalization and intracellular localization of membrane DNA in mouse peritoneal macrophages, by means of lactoferrin-gold complex.

It is an experimental fact that lactoferrin binds to DNA. In the present study, a lactoferrin-gold complex was first bound by the cell surface, then became internalized (inside coated or smooth vesicles). Intracellularly the complex appeared in tube-like or vesicle-like structures, which approximated the nucleus, and some vesicles even showed indications of association with the external nuclear membrane. Neither membrane binding, nor internization of the lactoferrin-gold complex had taken place in cells pretreated with DNase.