title: Spermine-modified Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin as a gene delivery carrier.
abstract: The development of a novel cationized polymer used as a gene delivery carrier that can conveniently and effectively transfect cells resulting in a stably expressed target gene remains a challenge. Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin (ASF) is a cytocompatible and biodegradable natural polymer, and it possesses Arg-Gly-Asp sequences but a negative charge. In order to render ASF amenable to packaging plasmid DNA (pDNA), spermine was used to modify ASF to synthesize cationized ASF (CASF), which was used as a gene delivery carrier. CASF was characterized using trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid assay, the zeta potential determination, and a Fourier transform infrared analysis, and the results of these characterizations indicated that the -NH2 in spermine effectively reacts with the -COOH in the side chains of ASF. Spermine grafted to the side chains of ASF resulted in the conversion of the negative charge of ASF to a positive charge. CASF packaged pDNA and formed CASF/pDNA complexes, which exhibited spherical morphology with average particle sizes of 215-281 nm and zeta potential of approximately +3.0 mV to +3.2 mV. The results of the MTT assay, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and flow cytometry analysis in a human endothelial cell line revealed that CASF/pDNA complexes exhibited lower cytotoxicity and higher transfection efficiency compared to the pDNA complexes of polyethyleneimine. These results indicate that our synthesized CASF, a cationized polymer, is a potential gene delivery carrier with the advantages of biodegradability and low cytotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yanni
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yongpei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiufang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: National Engineering Laboratory for Modern Silk, College of Textile and Clothing Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Mingzhong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Cell and Molecular Biology Institute, College of Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jicheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Cell and Molecular Biology Institute, College of Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D005349:Fibroins / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D009036:Moths / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D011094:Polyethyleneimine / Q000737:chemistry*; D013096:Spermine / Q000737:chemistry*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D013096:Spermine; D011094:Polyethyleneimine; D004247:DNA; D005349:Fibroins
keywords: cationized polymer; gene delivery carrier; silk fibroin; spermine