title: A tadpole-shaped gene carrier with distinct phase segregation in a ternary polymeric micelle.
abstract: A distinct tadpole-shaped nanostructure characterized by a spherical head and an extended shaft was identified in a single plasmid DNA (pDNA)-based polymeric micelle. The tadpole-shaped structure was constructed by adding anionic chondroitin sulfate (CS) to the rod-shaped polyplex micelle containing a single pDNA molecule packaged by the PEG-polycation block copolymer through their electrostatic self-assembly. The complex consequently developed a novel structure composed of segregated domains of the CS-rich inflated head and CS-poor folded DNA tail. Hence, this tadpole structure can be regarded as evidence that distinct phase segregation occurred in a single polymeric micelle containing pDNA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan. kataoka@bmw.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Qixian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kensuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Osada
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pennisi
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Theofilus A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Tockary
authors.forename: Anjaneyulu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dirisala
authors.forename: Yanmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Kaori M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oniyanagi
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Itaka
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kataoka
mesh_terms: D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000737:chemistry; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D008823:Micelles; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011073:Polyamines / Q000737:chemistry; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
chemical_list: D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D008823:Micelles; D011073:Polyamines; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011108:Polymers