Next Article in Journal
Hydrogel Based Sensors for Biomedical Applications: An Updated Review
Previous Article in Journal
Hydrogen-Bonded Polymer Complex Thin Film of Poly(2-oxazoline) and Poly(acrylic acid)
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Polymers
Volume 9
Issue 8
10.3390/polym9080362
polymers-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Aromatic Modification of Low Molecular Weight PEI for Enhanced Gene Delivery

by
Qing-Ying Yu
,
Yu-Rong Zhan
,
Ji Zhang
*,
Chao-Ran Luan
,
Bing Wang
and
Xiao-Qi Yu
*
Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Polymers 2017, 9(8), 362; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym9080362
Submission received: 17 July 2017 / Revised: 3 August 2017 / Accepted: 3 August 2017 / Published: 15 August 2017
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Abstract

Low molecular weight polyethylenimine (1800 Da, also referred to as oligoethylenimines, OEI) was modified with amino acids, including two aromatic amino acids (tryptophan, phenylalanine) and an aliphatic amino acid (leucine). The substitution degree of amino acids could be controlled by adjusting the feeding mole ratio of the reactants. Fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism experiments demonstrated that the indole ring of tryptophan may intercalate into the DNA base pairs and contribute to efficient DNA condensation. In vitro gene expression results revealed that the modified OEIs (OEI-AAs) may provide higher transfection efficiency even than high molecular weight polyethylenimine (25 kDa, PEI), especially the aromatic tryptophan substituted OEI. Moreover, OEI-AAs exhibited excellent serum tolerance, and up to 137 times higher transfection efficiency than PEI 25 kDa that was obtained in the presence of serum. The cytotoxicity of OEI-AAs is much lower than PEI 25 kDa. This study may afford a new method for the development of low molecular weight oligomeric non-viral gene vectors with both high efficiency and biocompatibility.
Keywords: gene delivery; non-viral gene vector; LMW PEI; aromatic amino acid; structure-activity relationship gene delivery; non-viral gene vector; LMW PEI; aromatic amino acid; structure-activity relationship
Graphical Abstract

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Yu, Q.-Y.; Zhan, Y.-R.; Zhang, J.; Luan, C.-R.; Wang, B.; Yu, X.-Q. Aromatic Modification of Low Molecular Weight PEI for Enhanced Gene Delivery. Polymers 2017, 9, 362. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym9080362

AMA Style

Yu Q-Y, Zhan Y-R, Zhang J, Luan C-R, Wang B, Yu X-Q. Aromatic Modification of Low Molecular Weight PEI for Enhanced Gene Delivery. Polymers. 2017; 9(8):362. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym9080362

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yu, Qing-Ying, Yu-Rong Zhan, Ji Zhang, Chao-Ran Luan, Bing Wang, and Xiao-Qi Yu. 2017. "Aromatic Modification of Low Molecular Weight PEI for Enhanced Gene Delivery" Polymers 9, no. 8: 362. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym9080362

APA Style

Yu, Q.-Y., Zhan, Y.-R., Zhang, J., Luan, C.-R., Wang, B., & Yu, X.-Q. (2017). Aromatic Modification of Low Molecular Weight PEI for Enhanced Gene Delivery. Polymers, 9(8), 362. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym9080362

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop