title: Cationic fluorine-containing amphiphilic graft copolymers as DNA carriers.
abstract: A series of cationic fluorine-containing amphiphilic graft copolymers P(HFMA-St-MOTAC)-g-PEG comprising poly(hexafluorobutyl methacrylate) (PHFMA) poly(methacryl oxyethyl trimethylammonium chloride) (PMOTAC) polystyrene (PSt) backbones and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) side chains are synthesized as a type of non-viral gene vector. The copolymers self-assemble into spherical micelles in the aqueous media and turbidity and cytotoxicity measurements show that those micelles have excellent dispersive stability and low cytotoxicity. The interactions between the copolymers and calf-thymus DNA are studied by fluorescence spectroscopy and viscosity. The former discloses electrostatic interaction, hydrophobic interaction, and hydrogen bonding in the copolymer/DNA system, whereas the latter indicates that these graft copolymers can bind DNA via the electrostatic and classical intercalation modes. The DNA-binding capacity determined by the gel retardation assay and UV-visible spectrophotometry shows that the copolymers have good binding capacity to DNA and a high charge density or HFMA content in the copolymers bode well for DNA-binding. Transmission electron microscopy, photon correlation spectroscopy, and zeta potential data reveal that stable colloidal complexes (particles) can form easily between the copolymer micelles and DNA. Our results suggest that the copolymers are a promising non-viral vector in a gene delivery system.
authors.affiliation: Ministry-of-Education Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China.
authors.forename: Sheng-Dong
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Li-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Shuilin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Zu-Shun
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Paul K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D002412:Cations; D016923:Cell Death; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005461:Fluorine / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000737:chemistry; D008823:Micelles; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D002412:Cations; D004337:Drug Carriers; D008689:Methacrylates; D008823:Micelles; D011108:Polymers; D005461:Fluorine; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D004247:DNA; C427203:calf thymus DNA