Polyglycerol-functionalized nanodiamond as a platform for gene delivery: Derivatization, characterization, and hybridization with DNA.
A gene vector consisting of nanodiamond, polyglycerol, and basic polypeptide (ND-PG-BPP) has been designed, synthesized, and characterized. The ND-PG-BPP was synthesized by PG functionalization of ND through ring-opening polymerization of glycidol on the ND surface, multistep organic transformations (-OH → -OTs (tosylate) → -N3) in the PG layer, and click conjugation of the basic polypeptides (Arg8, Lys8 or His8) terminated with propargyl glycine. The ND-PG-BPP exhibited good dispersibility in water (>1.0 mg/mL) and positive zeta potential ranging from +14.2 mV to +44.1 mV at neutral pH in Milli-Q water. It was confirmed by gel retardation assay that ND-PG-Arg8 and ND-PG-Lys8 with higher zeta potential hybridized with plasmid DNA (pDNA) through electrostatic attraction, making them promising as nonviral vectors for gene delivery.
Department of Chemistry, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta, Otsu 520-2192, Japan.
Li
L
Zhao
Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta, Otsu 520-2192, Japan.
Yuki
Y
Nakae
Department of Chemistry, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta, Otsu 520-2192, Japan.
Hongmei
H
Qin
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Meijo University, Tempaku, Nagoya 468-8502, Japan.
Tadamasa
T
Ito
Department of Chemistry, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta, Otsu 520-2192, Japan.
Takahide
T
Kimura
Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta, Otsu 520-2192, Japan.
Hideto
H
Kojima
Departments of Medicine, and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Lawrence
L
Chan
Department of Chemistry, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta, Otsu 520-2192, Japan.
Naoki
N
Komatsu
DNA; carbon-nanomaterials; click chemistry; gene delivery; nanodiamond; polyglycerol; polypeptides