title: Light-triggered capture and release of DNA and proteins by host-guest binding and electrostatic interaction.
abstract: The development of an effective and general delivery method that can be applied to a large variety of structurally diverse biomolecules remains a bottleneck in modern drug therapy. Herein, we present a supramolecular system for the dynamic trapping and light-stimulated release of both DNA and proteins. Self-assembled ternary complexes act as nanoscale carriers, comprising vesicles of amphiphilic cyclodextrin, the target biomolecules and linker molecules with an azobenzene unit and a charged functionality. The non-covalent linker binds to the cyclodextrin by host-guest complexation with the azobenzene. Proteins or DNA are then bound to the functionalized vesicles through multivalent electrostatic attraction. The photoresponse of the host-guest complex allows a light-induced switch from the multivalent state that can bind the biomolecules to the low-affinity state of the free linker, thereby providing external control over the cargo release. The major advantage of this delivery approach is the wide variety of targets that can be addressed by multivalent electrostatic interaction, which we demonstrate on four types of DNA and six different proteins.
authors.affiliation: Organic Chemistry Institute and Graduate School of Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstrasse 40, 48149 Münster (Germany).
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moratz
authors.forename: Avik
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Samanta
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Voskuhl
authors.forename: Siva Krishna
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mohan Nalluri
authors.forename: Bart Jan
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Ravoo
mesh_terms: D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D003505:Cyclodextrins / Q000737:chemistry*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008027:Light; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011485:Protein Binding; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D055672:Static Electricity
chemical_list: D001391:Azo Compounds; D003505:Cyclodextrins; D011506:Proteins; D004247:DNA; C009850:azobenzene
keywords: cyclodextrins; host-guest systems; molecular recognition; self-assembly; vesicles