Transgene expression efficiency from plasmid DNA delivered as a complex with histone H3

The intranuclear disposition of plasmid DNA is extremely important for transgene expression. Exogenous histones have been used as carriers of plasmid DNA in histone-mediated gene delivery. In this study, the effects of exogenous histone H3 complexed with plasmid DNA on transgene expression efficiency were examined. The plasmid–histone complexes in various ratios were transfected into HeLa cells by osmotic pressure. Histone H3 suppressed transgene expression in the nucleus in a dose-dependent manner. Our results suggest that the histone-mediated gene delivery is unlikely to be useful, from the viewpoint of the intranuclear disposition.