title: Backbone-modified oligonucleotides for tuning the cellular uptake behaviour of spherical nucleic acids.
abstract: Spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) are spherically arranged oligonucleotides on core inorganic nanoparticles and have great potential for intracellular delivery of bioactive molecules, since they have been found to be internalized into mammalian cells. Understanding the factors that influence the cellular uptake of SNAs would be beneficial to design SNAs with novel uptake properties. We here report the effect of the sugar backbone type of the oligonucleotides on the cellular internalization of SNAs. After the preparation of SNAs with the oligonucleotides of five different sugar backbones, we analyze the cellular uptake efficiency quantitatively by flow cytometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The data reveal that the uptake efficiencies and the uptake mechanisms significantly rely on the backbone type. These results suggest that the backbone modification can provide a unique handle to tune the cellular uptake behavior of SNAs.
authors.affiliation: The Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791, Republic of Korea. drahn@kist.re.kr.
authors.forename: Woo Chul
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: The Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791, Republic of Korea. drahn@kist.re.kr and Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoung-Ran
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: The Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791, Republic of Korea. drahn@kist.re.kr.
authors.forename: Miri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Advanced Analysis Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung Eun
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: The Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791, Republic of Korea. drahn@kist.re.kr and Department of Biological Chemistry, KIST Campus, University of Science and Technology (UST), Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dae-Ro
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7108-5855
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Ahn
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D009696:Nucleic Acids; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D006046:Gold