Patent ID: 7999073

Claim:
A transfection agent for transfecting cells with a nucleic acid, comprising at least one protein being capable of forming nucleoprotein filaments (NPFs), said nucleic acid and said NPF-forming protein forming a nucleoprotein filament complex, wherein said NPF-forming protein is a protein selected from the group consisting of the proteins RadA, hDmc1, SASP, ICP8, and UvsX, or a mixture of at least 2 of the listed proteins, wherein said NPF-forming protein is modified by at least one modification selected from the group consisting of deletion or insertion of amino acids and/or protein domains, chemical alteration of amino acids, and chemical coupling of peptides, proteins, carbohydrates or lipids, wherein said NPF-forming protein is modified with a single functional component or several functional components of the same function, wherein said functional component(s) cause(s) association of said complex to the cellular surface, non-endosomal passage of said complex through the cell membrane, release of said complex from endosomes/lysosomes, or transport of said complex into the nucleus, and wherein said functional component(s) is/(are) selected from the group consisting of amino acid linker, Nuclear Localization Signal (NLS), ligand to the Epstein Barr Virus receptor CD21, ligand to Listeria monocytogenes receptor E-cadherin, ligand to transferrin receptor/transferrin, ligand to asialoglycoprotein receptor, integrin-binding peptides, ligand to insulin receptor, ligand to EGF (epidermal growth factor) receptor, ligand to insulin-like growth factor I receptor, ligand to lectins, protein A or its IgG-binding domain, epitope from the influenza hemagglutinin, epitope from the c-myc protein, viral peptides including peptides from HIV tat, peptides from VP22, peptides from HBV surface antigen, peptides from homeodomain of antennapedia, peptides from engrailed, peptides from HOXA-5, peptides from IL-1β, peptides from FGF-1, peptides from FGF-2, peptides from Kaposi fibroblast growth factor, mab 3E10, transportane, endosomolytic substances including endosomolytic peptides from bacteria including peptides from streptolysin O, peptides from pneumolysin, peptides from staphylococcal α-toxin, peptides from listeriolysin O, endosomolytic peptides from viruses including peptides from the N-terminal hemagglutinin HA-2 peptide of influenza virus, peptides from the N-terminus of the VP-1 protein of rhinovirus HRV2, peptides from the capsid component Ad2 of adenovirus, synthetic endosomolytic peptides including amphipathic peptide GALA, amphipathic peptide KALA, amphipathic peptide EGLA, amphipathic peptide JTS1, imidazole, and polyamidoamine-modified polymers, or a mixture of at least 2 of the listed modifications.