title: Compaction and Transmembrane Delivery of pDNA: Differences between l-PEI and Two Types of Amphiphilic Block Copolymers.
abstract: Polycations are popular agents for nonviral delivery of DNA to mammalian cells. Adding hydrophobic, biodegradable, or cell-penetrating functions could help to improve their performance, which at present is below that of viral agents. A crucial first step in gene delivery is the complexation of the DNA. The characteristics of these "polyplexes" presumably influence or even determine the subsequent steps of membrane passage, intracellular traveling/DNA release, and nuclear uptake. Herein, polyplexes formed with linear poly(ethylenimine) (l-PEI) are compared to complexes generated with functionalized diblock copolymers. While l-PEI interacts only electrostatically with the DNA, interaction in the case of the diblock polymers may be mixed-mode. In certain cases, transfection efficiency improved when the polyplexes were formed in hypertonic solution. Moreover, whereas conventional PEI-based polyplexes enter the cells via endocytosis, at least one of the diblock agents seemed to promote entry via transient destabilization of the plasma membrane.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raup
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Christopher V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Synatschke
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jérôme
authors.forename: Seema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University , 119991 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Dmitry V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Pergushov
authors.forename: Axel H E
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4642-897X
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Freitag
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D016466:CHO Cells; D002460:Cell Line; D003412:Cricetulus; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004705:Endocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006801:Humans; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D051379:Mice; D010316:Particle Size; D010957:Plasmids / Q000737:chemistry*; D011073:Polyamines / Q000737:chemistry; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes; D011094:Polyethyleneimine / Q000737:chemistry*; D055672:Static Electricity; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004247:DNA; D011073:Polyamines; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes; D011094:Polyethyleneimine