Direct protein delivery into intact Arabidopsis cells for genome engineering.

Intracellular delivery of biomolecules is a prerequisite for genetic techniques such as recombinant engineering and genome editing. Realizing the full potential of this technology requires the development of safe and effective methods for delivering protein tools into cells. In this study, we demonstrated the spontaneous internalization of exogenous proteins into intact cells and root tissue of whole plants of Arabidopsis thaliana.

A Method for Electroporation of Cre Recombinase Protein into Intact Cells.

The Cre/ recombination system has become a powerful technology for gene function analysis in a broad spectrum of cell types and organisms. In our previous report, Cre protein had been successfully delivered into intact thaliana cells using electroporation. To expand the feasibility of the method of protein electroporation to other plant cells, here we attempt the protein electroporation into tobacco-derived BY-2 cells, one of the most frequently used plant cell lines for industrial production.