Liposome-mediated RNA transfection should be used with caution

  1. Carine Barreau1,3,
  2. Stéphanie Dutertre2,
  3. Luc Paillard1, and
  4. H. Beverley Osborne1
  1. 1.CNRS/Université de Rennes1, UMR 6061 Génétique et Développement, IFR 140 Génétique Fonctionnelle, Agronomie et Santé, Faculté de Médecine, 35043 Rennes cedex, France
  2. 2.IFR 140 Génétique Fonctionnelle, Agronomie et Santé, Plateforme de Microscopie Fluorescente, CNRS UMR 6061 Génétique et Développement, Faculté de Médecine, 35043 Rennes cedex, France

Abstract

Liposome-mediated RNA transfection appears to present a number of advantages for studying the metabolism of reporter mRNAs in mammalian cells. This method is also widely used to transfect siRNAs. Here we describe results indicating that reporter mRNAs introduced into HeLa cells by liposomes do not present the expected behaviors. Namely, the stability of reporter mRNAs was independent of the presence or absence of an AUUUA instability element, a poly(A) tail, or even a 5′ methylated cap. Confocal microscopy showed that fluorescent RNAs introduced by liposome-mediated transfection were present in discrete particles. These observations imply that a number of control experiments are required when using liposome to mediated RNA transfection, and the possible consequences are discussed.

Keywords

Footnotes

  • 3. Present address: Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom.

  • Reprint requests to: H.B. Osborne, UMR 6061 Génétique et Développement, IFR 140 Génétique Fonctionnelle, Agronomie et Santé, Faculté de Médecine, 2 avenue du Pr. Léon Bernard, CNRS/Université de Rennes 1, 35043 Rennes cedex, France; e-mail: Beverley.osborne{at}univ-rennes1.fr; fax: 33-223-23-4478.

  • Article published online ahead of print. Article and publication date are at http://www.rnajournal.org/cgi/doi/10.1261/rna.191706.

    • Received June 14, 2006.
    • Accepted July 17, 2006.
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