Gene delivery process in a single animal cell after femtosecond laser microinjection

Microinjection of extracellular molecules into a single animal cell was performed by an amplified femtosecond laser irradiation. When a single-shot laser pulse was focused on the plasma membrane of a single fibroblast from the mouse cell line NIH3T3 with a high-numerical aperture objective lens, a transient hole with a diameter of 1 μm was formed. The delivery process of extracellular molecules immediately after the hole formation was monitored by a fluorescence staining with fluoresceinisothiocyanate–dextran (FITC–dextran). Then the gene expression was confirmed using a DNA plasmid of an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). The gene expression was observed when the laser pulse was focused first on the cellular membrane and then on the nuclear membrane, while the gene was not expressed when the laser was focused only on the cellular membrane. On the basis of these results, the efficiency of gene delivery by the femtosecond laser microinjection and the subsequent gene expression were clarified.