The world's first wiki where authorship really matters (Nature Genetics, 2008). Due credit and reputation for authors. Imagine a global collaborative knowledge base for original thoughts. Search thousands of articles and collaborate with scientists around the globe.

wikigene or wiki gene protein drug chemical gene disease author authorship tracking collaborative publishing evolutionary knowledge reputation system wiki2.0 global collaboration genes proteins drugs chemicals diseases compound
Hoffmann, R. A wiki for the life sciences where authorship matters. Nature Genetics (2008)
 
 
 
 
 

A chimeric fusion protein containing transforming growth factor-alpha mediates gene transfer via binding to the EGF receptor.

Fusion proteins engineered to incorporate distinct functions which co-operate in mediating the cell-type specific uptake and intracellular delivery of DNA present an attractive approach for the development of self-assembling vector systems for targeted gene transfer. Here we have chosen the EGF receptor overexpressed in many human tumors of epithelial origin as a target for a novel modular fusion protein. We have fused a cDNA fragment of the human EGF receptor ligand TGF-alpha to sequences encoding the translocation domain of Pseudomonas exotoxin A as an endosome escape activity, and the DNA-binding domain of the yeast GAL4 transcription factor. Upon bacterial expression, this TEG fusion protein displayed specific binding to EGF receptors. Complexes of the chimeric protein and plasmid DNA carrying a luciferase reporter gene, after condensation with poly-L-lysine resulted in an up to 150-fold increase in reporter gene expression in EGF receptor expressing cells in comparison to poly-L-lysine-DNA complexes alone. While in COS-1 cells no additional endosome escape activity was required, in A431 cells gene delivery was dependent on the simultaneous presence of the endosome destabilizing reagent chloroquine indicating that cell-type specific factors such as different intracellular routing of protein-DNA complexes greatly influence transfection efficiency.[1]

References

 
WikiGenes - Universities