Open AccessInvestigation of DNA Condensing Properties of Amphiphilic Triblock Cationic Polymers by Atomic Force Microscopy
Author(s) -
Nathalie LidgiGuigui,
Christine Guis,
Blandine Brissault,
Antoine Kichler,
Christian Leborgne,
Daniel Scherman,
S. Labdi,
Patrick A. Curmi
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
langmuir
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.042
H-Index - 333
eISSN - 1520-5827
pISSN - 0743-7463
DOI - 10.1021/la103066c
Subject(s) - cationic polymerization , polyethylenimine , amphiphile , polymer , dna condensation , copolymer , nucleic acid , dna , chemical engineering , chemistry , polymer chemistry , materials science , organic chemistry , transfection , biochemistry , engineering , gene
Introduction of nucleic acids into cells is an important biotechnology research field which also holds great promise for therapeutic applications. One of the key steps in the gene delivery process is compaction of DNA into nanometric particles. The study of DNA condensing properties of three linear cationic triblock copolymers poly(ethylenimine-b-propylene glycol-b-ethylenimine), namely, LPEI(50)-PPG(36)-LPEI(50), LPEI(19)-PPG(36)-LPEI(19), and LPEI(14)-PPG(68)-LPEI(14), indicates that proper DNA condensation is driven by both the charge and the size of the respective cationic hydrophilic linear polyethylenimine (LPEI) and neutral hydrophobic poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) parts. Atomic force microscopy was used to investigate the interactions of the triblock copolymers with plasmid DNA at the single molecule level and to enlighten the mechanism involved in DNA condensation.
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