title: Convenient preparation of biodegradable PEI-containing polymers as non-viral vectors for gene transfection.
abstract: Poly(L-succinimide)-graft-polyethylenimines (PSPs) were prepared as non-viral vectors for gene transfection. Branched polyethylenimine (Mw= 800, PEI800) was grafted to poly(L-succinimide) (PSI) in a one-step reaction with no catalyst. Gel retardation assay showed that the mobility of PSP/pDNA complexes was completely retarded at the low N/P ratio of 0.42. In vitro transfection experiments showed that, at N/P ratio of 0.84, PSPs can reach the highest transfection level with ten-fold enhancement in 293T cells and five-fold enhancement in HeLa cells as compared with PEI25k (Mw= 25,000). Fluorescent confocal microscopy showed that pGL-3 plasmids condensed by PSPs could be effectively transported into the nuclei of HeLa cells. Significantly reduced cytotoxicity of polymers was observed towards 293T and HeLa cells, with the 50% inhibition concentration of PSPs being almost four times higher than that of PEI25k.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education and Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China.
authors.forename: Fu-Wei
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Si-Xue
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Xian-Zheng
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ren-Xi
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Zhuo
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D011094:Polyethyleneimine / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D011094:Polyethyleneimine