Incorporation of high molecular weight RNA into large artificial lipid vesicles.

By utilizing an ether infusion technique with lecithin, cholesterol, and dicetylphosphate, giant liposomes have been produced with diameters ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 microns. These liposomes have been used to sequester 4S, 16S, and 23S $\text{E. coli}$ ³H]RNA and can be effectively separated from non-liposome incorporated RNA by ribonuclease treatment followed by Sepharose 4B gel filtration. The ³H]RNA within these liposomes can be extracted and appears to be undegraded.