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Vasiliu T, Craciun BF, Neamtu A, Clima L, Isac DL, Maier SS, Pinteala M, Mocci F, Laaksonen A. In silico study of PEI-PEG-squalene-dsDNA polyplex formation: the delicate role of the PEG length in the binding of PEI to DNA. Biomater Sci 2021; 9:6623-6640. [PMID: 34582532 DOI: 10.1039/d1bm00973g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Biocompatible hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) is widely used in biomedical applications, such as drug or gene delivery, tissue engineering or as an antifouling component in biomedical devices. Experimental studies have shown that the size of PEG can weaken polycation-polyanion interactions, like those between branched polyethyleneimine (b-PEI) and DNA in gene carriers, but details of its cause and underlying interactions on the atomic scale are still not clear. To better understand the interaction mechanisms in the formation of polyplexes between b-PEI-PEG based carriers and DNA, we have used a combination of in silico tools and experiments on three multicomponent systems differing in PEG MW. Using the PEI-PEG-squalene-dsDNA systems of the same size, both in the all-atom MD simulations and in experimental in-gel electrophoresis measurements, we found that the binding between DNA and the vectors is highly influenced by the size of PEG, with the binding efficiency increasing with a shorter PEG length. The mechanism of how PEG interferes with the binding between PEI and DNA is explained using a two-step MD simulation protocol that showed that the DNA-vector interactions are influenced by the PEG length due to the hydrogen bond formation between PEI and PEG. Although computationally demanding we find it important to study molecular systems of the same size both in silico and in a laboratory and to simulate the behaviour of the carrier prior to the addition of bioactive molecules to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the formation of the polyplex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tudor Vasiliu
- Center of Advanced Research in Bionanoconjugates and Biopolymers, "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi 700487, Romania.
| | - Bogdan Florin Craciun
- Center of Advanced Research in Bionanoconjugates and Biopolymers, "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi 700487, Romania.
| | - Andrei Neamtu
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, TRANSCEND IRO, Iaşi 700843, Romania
| | - Lilia Clima
- Center of Advanced Research in Bionanoconjugates and Biopolymers, "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi 700487, Romania.
| | - Dragos Lucian Isac
- Center of Advanced Research in Bionanoconjugates and Biopolymers, "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi 700487, Romania.
| | - Stelian S Maier
- Center of Advanced Research in Bionanoconjugates and Biopolymers, "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi 700487, Romania. .,Polymers Research Center, "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University of Iasi, Iasi, 700487, Romania
| | - Mariana Pinteala
- Center of Advanced Research in Bionanoconjugates and Biopolymers, "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi 700487, Romania.
| | - Francesca Mocci
- Center of Advanced Research in Bionanoconjugates and Biopolymers, "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi 700487, Romania. .,Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche, Università di Cagliari, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Aatto Laaksonen
- Center of Advanced Research in Bionanoconjugates and Biopolymers, "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi 700487, Romania. .,Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Division of Physical Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.,State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 210009 Nanjing, PR China.,Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics, Division of Energy Science, Luleå University of Technology, 97187 Luleå, Sweden
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Stoica I, Epure EL, Constantin CP, Damaceanu MD, Ursu EL, Mihaila I, Sava I. Evaluation of Local Mechanical and Chemical Properties via AFM as a Tool for Understanding the Formation Mechanism of Pulsed UV Laser-Nanoinduced Patterns on Azo-Naphthalene-Based Polyimide Films. NANOMATERIALS 2021; 11:nano11030812. [PMID: 33809999 PMCID: PMC8005186 DOI: 10.3390/nano11030812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Aromatic polyimides containing side azo-naphthalene groups have been investigated regarding their capacity of generating surface relief gratings (SRGs) under pulsed UV laser irradiation through phase masks, using different fluencies and pulse numbers. The process of the material photo-fluidization and the supramolecular re-organization of the surface were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). At first, an AFM nanoscale topographical analysis of the induced SRGs was performed in terms of morphology and tridimensional amplitude, spatial, hybrid, and functional parameters. Afterward, a nanomechanical characterization of SRGs using an advanced method, namely, AFM PinPoint mode, was performed, where the quantitative nanomechanical properties (i.e., modulus, adhesion, deformation) of the nanostructured azo-polyimide surfaces were acquired with a highly correlated topographic registration. This method proved to be very effective in understanding the formation mechanism of the surface modulations during pulsed UV laser irradiation. Additionally to AFM investigations, confocal Raman measurements and molecular simulations were performed to provide information about structured azo-polyimide chemical composition and macromolecular conformation induced by laser irradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iuliana Stoica
- “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 700487 Iasi, Romania; (C.-P.C.); (M.-D.D.); (E.-L.U.)
- Correspondence: (I.S.); (I.S.)
| | - Elena-Luiza Epure
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection, “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University, 700050 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Catalin-Paul Constantin
- “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 700487 Iasi, Romania; (C.-P.C.); (M.-D.D.); (E.-L.U.)
| | - Mariana-Dana Damaceanu
- “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 700487 Iasi, Romania; (C.-P.C.); (M.-D.D.); (E.-L.U.)
| | - Elena-Laura Ursu
- “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 700487 Iasi, Romania; (C.-P.C.); (M.-D.D.); (E.-L.U.)
| | - Ilarion Mihaila
- Integrated Center of Environmental Science Studies in the North-Eastern Development Region (CERNESIM), “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, 700506 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Ion Sava
- “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 700487 Iasi, Romania; (C.-P.C.); (M.-D.D.); (E.-L.U.)
- Correspondence: (I.S.); (I.S.)
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Tarnacka M, Jurkiewicz K, Hachuła B, Wojnarowska Z, Wrzalik R, Bielas R, Talik A, Maksym P, Kaminski K, Paluch M. Correlation between Locally Ordered (Hydrogen-Bonded) Nanodomains and Puzzling Dynamics of Polymethysiloxane Derivative. Macromolecules 2020; 53:10225-10233. [PMID: 33250524 PMCID: PMC7690047 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c01289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
We examined the behavior of poly(mercaptopropyl)methylsiloxane (PMMS), characterized by a polymer chain backbone of alternate silicon and oxygen atoms substituted by a polar pendant group able to form hydrogen bonds (-SH moiety), by means of infrared (FTIR) and dielectric (BDS) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and rheology. We observed that the examined PMMS forms relatively efficient hydrogen bonds leading to the association of chains in the form of ordered lamellar-like hydrogen-bonded nanodomains. Moreover, the recorded mechanical and dielectric spectra revealed the presence of two relaxation processes. A direct comparison of collected data and relaxation times extracted from two experimental techniques, BDS and rheology, indicates that they monitor different types of the mobility of PMMS macromolecules. Our mechanical measurements revealed the presence of Rouse modes connected to the chain dynamics (slow process) and segmental relaxation (a faster process), whereas in the dielectric loss spectra we observed two relaxation processes related most likely to either the association-dissociation phenomenon within lamellar-like self-assemblies or the sub-Rouse mode (α'-slower process) and segmental (α-faster process) dynamics. Data presented herein allow a better understanding of the peculiar dynamical properties of polysiloxanes and associating polymers having strongly polar pendant moieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Tarnacka
- Institute of Physics, University
of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pulku Piechoty 1, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
- Silesian Center
of Education and Interdisciplinary Research, University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pułku Piechoty 1A, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
| | - Karolina Jurkiewicz
- Institute of Physics, University
of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pulku Piechoty 1, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
- Silesian Center
of Education and Interdisciplinary Research, University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pułku Piechoty 1A, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
| | - Barbara Hachuła
- Institute of Chemistry, University
of Silesia in Katowice, ul. Szkolna 9, 40-007 Katowice, Poland
| | - Zaneta Wojnarowska
- Institute of Physics, University
of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pulku Piechoty 1, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
- Silesian Center
of Education and Interdisciplinary Research, University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pułku Piechoty 1A, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
| | - Roman Wrzalik
- Institute of Physics, University
of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pulku Piechoty 1, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
- Silesian Center
of Education and Interdisciplinary Research, University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pułku Piechoty 1A, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
| | - Rafał Bielas
- Institute of Physics, University
of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pulku Piechoty 1, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
- Silesian Center
of Education and Interdisciplinary Research, University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pułku Piechoty 1A, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Talik
- Institute of Physics, University
of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pulku Piechoty 1, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
- Silesian Center
of Education and Interdisciplinary Research, University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pułku Piechoty 1A, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
| | - Paulina Maksym
- Institute of Physics, University
of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pulku Piechoty 1, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
- Silesian Center
of Education and Interdisciplinary Research, University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pułku Piechoty 1A, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
| | - Kamil Kaminski
- Institute of Physics, University
of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pulku Piechoty 1, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
- Silesian Center
of Education and Interdisciplinary Research, University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pułku Piechoty 1A, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
| | - Marian Paluch
- Institute of Physics, University
of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pulku Piechoty 1, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
- Silesian Center
of Education and Interdisciplinary Research, University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. 75 Pułku Piechoty 1A, 41-500 Chorzow, Poland
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