Shuttle vector plasmid propagation in human peripheral blood lymphocytes facilitated by liposome-mediated...

Transfection of human peripheral blood lymphocytes facilitated by a positively charged liposome preparation (Lipofectin, BRL) is 100-fold more efficient than the DEAE dextran technique for the uptake and replication of shuttle vector plasmid DNA. The yield of progeny plasmids obtained from 10 ml of blood was high enough for mutational analysis. A marked increase in the mutation frequency of the shuttle vector marker gene was noted in response to the induction of psoralen adducts in the vector. By using normal human lymphocytes, this method will permit shuttle vector analysis of DNA repair and mutagenesis in a large number of individuals. This method could also prove useful for studies of human lymphotropic viruses.