No abstract

The synthesis and characterization of a gold nanoparticle functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticle (Au‐MSN) platform for codelivery of proteins and plasmid DNA to plant tissues using a biolistic particle delivery system is reported. The in vitro uptake and release profiles of fluorescently labeled bovine serum albumin (BSA) and enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) are investigated. As a proof‐of‐concept demonstration, Au‐MSN with large average pore diameters (10 nm) are shown to deliver and subsequently release proteins and plasmid DNA to the same cell after passing through the plant cell wall upon bombardment. Release of fluorescent eGFP indicates the delivery of active, non‐denatured proteins to plant cells. This advance represents the first example of biolistic‐mediated codelivery of proteins and plasmid DNA to plant cells via gold‐functionalized MSN and provides a powerful tool for both fundamental and applied research of plant sciences.

Applying nanotechnology to plant science requires efficient systems for the delivery of nanoparticles (NPs) to plant cells and tissues. The presence of a cell wall in plant cells makes it challenging to extend the NP delivery methods available for animal research. In this work, research is presented which establishes an efficient NP delivery system for plant tissues using the biolistic method. It is shown that the biolistic delivery of mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) materials can be improved by increasing the density of MSNs through gold plating. Additionally, a DNA-coating protocol is used based on calcium chloride and spermidine for MSN and gold nanorods to enhance the NP-mediated DNA delivery. Furthermore, the drastic improvement of NP delivery is demonstrated when the particles are combined with 0.6 μm gold particles during bombardment. The methodology described provides a system for the efficient delivery of NPs into plant cells using the biolistic method.