Infection of evacuolated turnip protoplasts with liposome-packaged cauliflower mosaic virus

The infectivity of reverse phase evaporation (REV) liposome-encapsidated cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) to turnip protoplasts was tested. The uptake of neutral or negative liposomes was stimulated by polyethylene glycol (PEG), while high levels of uptake of positive liposomes were obtained both in the absence and presence of PEG. The delivery of the vesicle contents to the protoplasts paralleled the uptake of liposomes. CaMV delivered to turnip protoplasts was degraded during the early period of culture. No increase in the amount of CaMV DNA could be detected on longer periods of culture. In contrast, when protoplasts were evacuolated prior to addition of REV liposomes, an increase in the amount of CaMV DNA was noted after some initial degradation of the input DNA.