Regarding the infectivity of naked DNA

[Ed Rybicki]

> From:          "Patrick O'Neil" <patrick at corona>
> Subject:       Regarding the infectivity of naked DNA
 
> On 15 May 1995, Chuckles wrote:

> > >As regard DNA and RNA not being able to infect, DNA is being used to 
> > >inoculate animals and cause disease.  DNA not being infectious used to be 
> > >the dogma but, this is no longer true.  Viral DNA is used to infect.  Mary
> > >
> > I haven't heard this before.  Could you please post the references for this.
> > 
> 
> I have never heard of an injection/inoculation of any animal or tissue
> with viral DNA _in_a_manner_similar_to_what_appears_to_be_suggested_above. 
> On the other hand, a tried and true direct injection of certain viruse's
> DNA into host cells can lead to viral infection.  It is one thing to
> directly inject the DNA _into_ a cell and quite another to attempt the
> same outcome by injection into the circulatory system or simple
> application of a DNA-containing solution to the skin (neither method would
> work). 

Ahem...if a plant virologist has heard of cDNA clones of 
picornaviruses being infectious if introduced into cells, AND of 
"naked DNA" vaccines - injections of cloned DNA directly into muscle 
tissue leading to protein production and subsequent immunity to an 
infectious agent - then so should you...!  And it means that DNA 
copies of an RNA virus could be infectious, as has (I think) been 
shown for retroviruses.
 ______________________________________________________
 |     Ed Rybicki, PhD      |  ed at molbiol.uct.ac.za   |
 |    Dept Microbiology     | University of Cape Town |
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