Endosomes, lysosomes: their implication in gene transfer.

Plasmid DNA, naked or bound to a non-viral vector, is taken up by endocytosis. As a result, it has to travel through the intracellular endocytic pathway involving endosomes and lysosomes. However, some DNA molecules must escape these organelles to reach the nucleus where transcription takes place. In this paper, we consider different factors that could affect the trafficking of plasmid DNA and influence transfection efficiency.