DOTAP (1,2-Dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium propane chloride)

Key Properties

• Chemical Nature: Cationic amphiphilic lipid with a positively charged quaternary ammonium head group and two unsaturated C18:1 oleoyl tails.
• Self-Assembly: Spontaneously forms positively charged liposomes in aqueous media.
• Nucleic Acid Binding: Strong electrostatic interaction with negatively charged DNA, mRNA, and siRNA to form stable lipoplexes.
• Low Cytotoxicity: Minimal cell toxicity compared to many other cationic transfection reagents.
• Membrane Fusion: High fusogenicity promotes endosomal escape and efficient intracellular delivery.
• Solubility: Soluble in organic solvents (e.g., chloroform, ethanol, DMSO); insoluble in water.
• Physical Form: Typically supplied as a yellowish to pale beige solid.

Applications

• In Vitro Transfection: High-efficiency delivery of plasmid DNA, siRNA, shRNA, and mRNA into adherent and suspension eukaryotic cells.
• Gene Function Studies: Gene overexpression, RNA interference (RNAi), and reporter gene assays.
• Vaccine Development: Formulation of mRNA and DNA vaccines as a delivery vehicle.
• Gene Therapy: Non-viral vector for therapeutic gene delivery in preclinical research.
• Liposomal Drug Delivery: Carrier for hydrophobic drugs and nucleic acid–based therapeutics.
• Immunology Research: Activator of innate immune responses in mammalian cells.