title: [12]aneN3 Modified Tetraphenylethene Molecules as High-Performance Sensing, Condensing, and Delivering Agents toward DNAs.
abstract: Four [12]aneN3 modified tetraphenylethene (TPE) compounds with different numbers of polyamine units and structure configurations, namely 1, 2, 3, and 4, were designed and synthesized. All compounds showed strong aggregation-induced emission (AIE) features. Compounds 2 and 4 showed significant emission enhancement after the addition of ssDNAs and dsDNAs of different lengths as well as calf thymus DNA (ctDNA). Compounds 1 and 3 showed very poor fluorescent responses toward DNAs. Gel electrophoresis demonstrated the abilities of 1-4 to condense DNA effectively. Complete retardation of plasmid DNA can be achieved at a concentration of 25 μM (1), 8 μM (for 2 and 3) and 4 μM (4). Experiments including fluorescent contrastive titrations, scanning electron microscopy, dynamic laser scattering, EB displacement, and gel electrophoresis demonstrated that the four compounds were able to integrate with DNA through electrostatic interactions and supramolecular stacking. A vicinal configuration around TPE (2) and more triazole-[12]aneN3 recognition sites (4) evidently enhanced the sensing capability toward oligonucleotides, and the TPE unit played an important role in the plasmid DNA condensation process because of its strong binding. With the advantages of low cytotoxicity, effective DNA sensing, and DNA condensing properties, compound 4 was successfully applied as a nonviral DNA vector and fluorescent tracer for label-free gene delivery, which is the first example of a nonviral gene vector with AIE activity.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education; College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Ai-Xiang
authors.initials: AX
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education; College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education; College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Guang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education; College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: You-Di
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education; College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Alam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uzair
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education; College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875, China.
authors.forename: Zhong-Lin
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000032:analysis; D010957:Plasmids / Q000737:chemistry; D011073:Polyamines / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D011073:Polyamines; D004247:DNA
keywords: DNA condensation; [12]aneN3; aggregation-induced emission; cytotoxicity; nonviral gene vector; nucleic acid sensing