Strontium phosphate transfection of human cells in primary culture: stable expression of the simian virus 40 large-T-antigen gene in primary human bronchial epithelial cells.

Strontium ion formed DNA-phosphate precipitates analogous to those formed by calcium but lacking the lethal and differentiation-inducing effects of calcium on many epithelial cell types in primary culture. Human primary bronchial epithelial cells were transiently and stably transfected by using strontium phosphate; the frequency of stable transformation with a plasmid carrying the simian virus 40 large-T-antigen gene was greater than 10(-4).