The ratio of unsaturated fatty acids in biosurfactants affects the efficiency of gene transfection

An unsaturated hydrocarbon chain in phospholipid was reported to affect a phase transition and a fusogenic activity after mixing membranes, and consequently to achieve a high DNA transfection efficiency. We previously showed that a biosurfactant mannosylerythritol lipid-A (MEL-A) enhances the gene transfection efficiency of cationic liposomes. Here, we have studied the effects of unsaturated fatty acid ratio of MEL-A on the physicochemical properties and gene delivery into cells of cationic liposomes using MEL-A with three different unsaturated fatty acid ratios (9.1%, 21.5%, and 46.3%). The gene transfer efficiency of cationic liposomes containing MEL-A (21.5%) was much higher than that of those containing MEL-A (9.1%) and MEL-A (46.3%). MEL-A (21.5%)-containing cationic liposomes induced highly efficient membrane fusion after addition of anionic liposomes and led to subsequent DNA release. Imaging analysis revealed that MEL-A (21.5%)-containing liposomes fused with the plasma membrane and delivered DNA into the nucleus of NIH-3T3 cells, MEL-A (46.3%)-containing liposomes fused with the plasma membrane did not deliver DNA into the nucleus, and MEL-A (9.1%)-containing liposomes neither fused with the plasma membrane nor delivered DNA into the nucleus. Thus, it is understandable that the unsaturated fatty acid ratio of MEL-A strongly influences the gene transfection efficiency of cationic liposomes.