Inclusion of DNA into Organic Gelator Fibers Made of Amphipathic Molecules and Its Controlled Release

• Published in: Langmuir 2005-10, Vol.21 (21), p.9398-9401
• Main Authors: Karinaga, Ryouji, Jeong, Yeonhwan, Shinkai, Seiji, Kaneko, Kenji, Sakurai, Kazuo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aniline Compounds - chemistry; Chemistry; DNA - chemistry; Escherichia coli; Exact sciences and technology; Gels; General and physical chemistry; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Models, Molecular; Nanostructures - chemistry; Povidone - chemistry; Silicon
• ISSN: 0743-7463; 1520-5827
• DOI: 10.1021/la0515524

When methyl 4,6-O-(p-nitrobenzylidene)-α-d-glucopyranoside (p-NO2Glu) was dissolved in water, p-NO2Glu molecules self-assembled to form a fiber (elemental fiber), and as a result, the solution became a partially transparent gel. When an equal (or more) amount of DNA was added to the gel, a white and crystalline gel was obtained. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy coupled with TEM and confocal microscopy suggested that DNA was included in the gel fibers made of p-NO2Glu molecules. The results imply that p-NO2Glu molecules are self-assembled to form an elemental fiber and these elemental fibers and DNA are twisted together to form higher hierarchic fibers. When the complexed gel made of plasmid DNA (pDNA) and p-NO2Glu was added to E. coli T7 S30 extract solution, the pDNA had less expression ability compared with naked one. When we added methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCyD), the expression rate was recovered with increasing added amount of MβCyD. The present paper shows inclusion and controlled release of DNA from a novel supporting material of DNA and that technology could play an important role in the development of localized approaches to gene therapy.