title: Inclusion of DNA into organic gelator fibers made of amphipathic molecules and its controlled release.
abstract: When methyl 4,6-O-(p-nitrobenzylidene)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (p-NO(2)Glu) was dissolved in water, p-NO(2)Glu 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-NO(2)Glu molecules. The results imply that p-NO(2)Glu 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-NO(2)Glu was added to E. coli T7 S30 extract solution, the pDNA had less expression ability compared with naked one. When we added methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MbetaCyD), the expression rate was recovered with increasing added amount of MbetaCyD. 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Processes & Environments, The University of Kitakyushu, 1-1, Hibikino, Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 808-0135, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryouji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Karinaga
authors.forename: Yeonhwan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shinkai
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakurai
mesh_terms: D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D005782:Gels; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008958:Models, Molecular; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D011205:Povidone / Q000737:chemistry*; D012825:Silicon
chemical_list: D000814:Aniline Compounds; D005782:Gels; C416807:polyaniline; D004247:DNA; D011205:Povidone; D012825:Silicon