| abstract |
A novel transfection reagent is disclosed comprising a conjugate of a lipid and anbasic membrane disturbing peptide of the formulan nwherein R 1 and R 2 are selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbyl moieties ofnstraight-chain or branched-chain, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic carboxylic acids andnphospholipid moieties, R 3 is a basic, membrane-disturbing peptide with a reversed amidenbackbone, Y is a C 2-10 alkylene, and X is selected from the group consisting ofn―C(O)―NH―, ―S―S―, and salts thereof. Particularly preferred compounds are thosenwherein R 1 and R 2 independently are an acyl moiety of a C 12-20 carboxylic acid,nespecially wherein R 1 and R 2 are oleoyl. Further disclosed is a transfection method innwhich transfection efficiency and DNA complex formation are enhanced by the use of ancompound of the invention in conjunction with an amino acid concentrate in the form ofna protein hydrolysate. |