title: Dynamic properties of an oriented lipid/DNA complex studied by neutron scattering.
abstract: The formation of lipid-DNA (CL-DNA) complexes called lipoplexes, proposed as DNA vectors in gene therapy, is obtained by adding DNA to a solution containing liposomes composed of cationic and neutral lipids. The structural and dynamic properties of such lipoplexes are determined by a coupling between the electrostatic interactions and the elastic parameters of the lipid mixture. An attempt to achieve a better understanding of the structure-dynamics relationship is reported herein. In particular, an elastic neutron scattering investigation of DOTAP-DOPC (dioleoyl trimethylammonium propane-dioleoyl phosphatidylcoline) complexed with DNA is described. Proton dynamics in this oriented CL-DNA lipoplex is found to be strongly dependent upon DNA concentration. Our results show that a substantial modification of the membrane dynamics is accompanied by the balancing of the total net charge inside the complex, together with the consequent displacement of interlayer water molecules.
authors.affiliation: INFM-OGG, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Natali
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castellano
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pozzi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Congiu Castellano
mesh_terms: D016880:Anisotropy; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D004548:Elasticity; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D008560:Membrane Fluidity; D008956:Models, Chemical; D015233:Models, Statistical; D033363:Neutron Diffraction / Q000379:methods*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D055672:Static Electricity; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008081:Liposomes; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D014867:Water; D004247:DNA