Efficiency of targeted gene delivery of ligand-poly-L-lysine hybrids with different crosslinks

Hybrids of a ligand protein crosslinked to a DNA binding protein have been developed as gene delivery vehicles mediated by receptors. To identify the effect of the crosslinks between the ligand and DNA binding protein on gene expression caused by an internalized hybrid-DNA complex, we prepared two kinds of transferrin-poly-L-lysine (TF-PL) hybrids: one was crosslinked by probably cleavable disulfide bonds (TF-ss-PL) and the other was linked by a probably uncleavable Schiff's base (TF-Schiff-PL). The binding affinity of the hybrids to HeLa cells was not different. However, the expression of a reporter gene (for luciferase) bound to these hybrids in HeLa cells transfected with TF-Schiff-PL was greater than that of TF-ss-PL.