title: A new family of peptide-nucleic acid nanostructures with potent transfection activities.
abstract: A family of His-rich peptides has been shown to complex DNA and efficiently deliver these nucleic acids into eukaryotic cells. Therefore, these nanoscale complexes have potential applications in gene therapy. Here, we review a number of spectroscopic and biophysical investigations aimed at characterizing the supramolecular interactions of the peptides with the nucleic acids and when overcoming the membrane barriers of the cell. Furthermore, solid-state NMR distance measurements for the first time reveal close interatomic distances between the amino acid side chains and the DNA phosphates within the transfection complex. A recent study indicates that the peptides are also potent transfectants of siRNAs and they could thereby be of potential interest for gene silencing therapies using these compounds. Copyright © 2010 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
authors.affiliation: Université de Strasbourg/CNRS, UMR7177, Institut de Chimie, 4, rue Blaise Pascal, 67070 Strasbourg, France. bechinger@chimie.u-strasbg.fr
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bechinger
authors.forename: Verica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vidovic
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bertani
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kichler
mesh_terms: D002151:Calorimetry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D020135:Peptide Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D020135:Peptide Nucleic Acids