title: Virus-encapsulated DNA origami nanostructures for cellular delivery.
abstract: DNA origami structures can be programmed into arbitrary shapes with nanometer scale precision, which opens up numerous attractive opportunities to engineer novel functional materials. One intriguing possibility is to use DNA origamis for fully tunable, targeted, and triggered drug delivery. In this work, we demonstrate the coating of DNA origami nanostructures with virus capsid proteins for enhancing cellular delivery. Our approach utilizes purified cowpea chlorotic mottle virus capsid proteins that can bind and self-assemble on the origami surface through electrostatic interactions and further pack the origami nanostructures inside the viral capsid. Confocal microscopy imaging and transfection studies with a human HEK293 cell line indicate that protein coating improves cellular attachment and delivery of origamis into the cells by 13-fold compared to bare DNA origamis. The presented method could readily find applications not only in sophisticated drug delivery applications but also in organizing intracellular reactions by origami-based templates.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Materials, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University , FI-00076 Aalto, Finland.
authors.forename: Joona
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mikkilä
authors.forename: Antti-Pekka
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Eskelinen
authors.forename: Elina H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Niemelä
authors.forename: Veikko
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Linko
authors.forename: Mikko J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Frilander
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Törmä
authors.forename: Mauri A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kostiainen
mesh_terms: D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006801:Humans; D055767:Immobilized Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008958:Models, Molecular; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D055767:Immobilized Proteins; D004247:DNA