We describe three applications of FRET technique to analyze structural and thermodynamic properties of cationic lipids and their complexes with DNA: (1) Lipid mixing assay to determine the degree to which individual vesicles undergo fusion upon complex formation. (2) DNA binding assay to obtain cationic lipid-DNA binding curves for thermodynamic analysis or binding stoichiometry characterization. (3) DNA spacing assay to determine changes in DNA packing in the multilamellar lipoplex particle.
Keywords: Binding assay; Cationic lipid; DNA spacing; FRET; Lipid mixing; Lipoplex; Vesicle fusion.