title: Role of the hydrophilic spacer of glucosylated amphiphiles included in liposome formulations in the recognition of Concanavalin A.
abstract: The functionalization of liposomes with glycosylated amphiphiles is an optimal strategy for targeted drug delivery, leading to enhanced efficacy as well as to reduced side effects of drugs. In fact, the presence of natural or synthetic glycolipids in vesicle formulations might increase their specificity toward lectins, a class of non-enzymatic sugar-binding proteins involved in cellular recognition and adhesion. The capability of a new glucosylated synthetic amphiphile to interact with Concanavalin A (Con A), a plant lectin used as model system, was investigated by a synergic experimental and computational approach, both as pure component and in formulation with a natural phospholipid. The comparison of the affinity with Con A of the new glucosylated amphiphile with respect to that of a previously described structural analogue demonstrates that the hydrophilic spacer length controls the exposure of the glucose residue on liposome surface, and consequently the recognition by the lectin.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica Università degli Studi di Roma "Sapienza", P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mauceri
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica Università degli Studi di Roma "Sapienza", P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fracassi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica Università degli Studi di Roma "Sapienza", P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Abramo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento per la Innovazione nei Sistemi Biologici, Agroalimentari e Forestali (DIBAF), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Largo dell'Università, snc 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borocci
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche e Chimiche, Università degli Studi dell'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67010 Coppito AQ, Italy.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giansanti
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica Università degli Studi di Roma "Sapienza", P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piozzi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica Università degli Studi di Roma "Sapienza", P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Galantini
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica Università degli Studi di Roma "Sapienza", P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche e Chimiche, Università degli Studi dell'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67010 Coppito AQ, Italy.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: D'Aiuto
authors.affiliation: CNR, Istituto di Metodologie Chimiche, Area della Ricerca di Roma 1, Via Salaria km 29,300, 00015 Monterotondo RM, Italy. Electronic address: giovanna.mancini@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mancini
mesh_terms: D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000737:chemistry*; D005947:Glucose / Q000737:chemistry*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008081:Liposomes; D056004:Molecular Dynamics Simulation; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008081:Liposomes; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D003208:Concanavalin A; D005947:Glucose
keywords: Agglutination; Glycosylated amphiphiles; Lectins; Liposome