Surface area of lipid membranes regulates the DNA-binding capacity of cationic liposomes.

We have applied electrophoresis on agarose gels to investigate the DNA-binding capacity of cationic liposomes made of cationic DC-cholesterol and neutral dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine as a function of membrane charge density and cationic lipid/DNA charge ratio. While each cationic liposome formulation exhibits a distinctive DNA-protection ability, here we show that such a capacity is universally regulated by surface area of lipid membranes available for binding in an aspecific manner. The relevance of DNA protection for gene transfection is also discussed.