title: Thin multilayer films and microcapsules containing DNA quadruplex motifs.
abstract: The assembly of multifunctional nanostructures bearing G-quadruplex motifs broadens the prospects of using G-quadruplexes as therapeutic carriers. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of an oligodeoxyguanosine, G15-mer polymer conjugate. We demonstrate that G15-mer oligonucleotides grafted to a polymer chain preserve the ability to self-assemble into ordered structures. The G-quadruplex-polymer conjugates were assembled onto a surface via hybridization with 30-mer cytosine strands, C30-mer, using a layer-by-layer approach to form microcapsules. A mechanism for the sequential assembly of the multilayer films and microcapsules is presented. We further investigate the photophysical behavior of porphyrin TMPyP4 bound to multilayer-coated particles. This study shows that the multilayer films bear residual and functional quadruplex moieties that can be used to effectively bind therapeutic agents.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, 00173 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cavalieri
authors.forename: Sher Leen
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mazzuca
authors.forename: Zhongfan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Volga
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bulmus
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caruso
mesh_terms: D002214:Capsules / Q000737:chemistry*; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D054856:G-Quadruplexes; D008567:Membranes, Artificial
chemical_list: D002214:Capsules; D008567:Membranes, Artificial