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Abeyratne-Perera HK, Basu S, Chandran PL. Shells of compacted DNA as nanocontainers transporting proteins in multiplexed delivery. MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING. C, MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS 2021; 127:112184. [PMID: 34225845 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2021.112184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Polyethyleneimine (PEI) polymers are known to compact DNA strands into spheroid, toroid, or rod structures. A formulation with mannose-grafted PEI (PEIm), however, was reported to compact DNA into ~100 nm spheroids that indented like thin-walled pressurized shells. The goal of the study is to understand why mannose bristles divert the traditional pathway of PEI-DNA compaction to produce shell-like structures, and to manipulate the process so that proteins can be packed into the core of the assembling shells for co-delivering DNA and proteins into cells. DLS, AFM, and TEM imaging provide a consistent picture that BSA proteins can be packed into the shells without altering the shell architecture, as long as the proteins were added during the time course of shell assembly. Force spectroscopy studies reveal that DNA shells that buckle also have a rich surface-coating of mannose, indicating that a micelle-like partitioning of hydrophobic and hydrophilic layers governs shell assembly. When HEK293T cells are spiked with BSA-laden DNA shells, co-transfection of DNA and BSA is observed at higher levels than control formulations. Distinct micron-sized features appear having both green fluorescence from BSA-FITC and blue fluorescence from NucBlue DNA stain, suggesting BSA release in nucleus and secretory granules. With DNA nanocontainers, proteins can take advantage of the efficiency of PEI-based DNA transfection for hitchhiking into cells while being shielded from the challenges of the intracellular route. DNA nanocontainers are rapid to assemble, not dependent on the DNA sequence, and can be adapted for different protein types; thereby having potential to serve as a high-throughput platform in scenarios where DNA and protein have to be released at the same site and time within cells (e.g., theranostics, multiplexed co-delivery, gene editing).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hashanthi K Abeyratne-Perera
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Saswati Basu
- Chemical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture, Howard University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Preethi L Chandran
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC, United States of America; Chemical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture, Howard University, Washington, DC, United States of America.
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Control of the transfection efficiency of human dermal fibroblasts by adjusting the characteristics of jetPEI®/plasmid complexes/polyplexes through the cation/anion ratio. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2018.04.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Curtis KA, Miller D, Millard P, Basu S, Horkay F, Chandran PL. Unusual Salt and pH Induced Changes in Polyethylenimine Solutions. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0158147. [PMID: 27685846 PMCID: PMC5042459 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Linear PEI is a cationic polymer commonly used for complexing DNA into nanoparticles for cell-transfection and gene-therapy applications. The polymer has closely-spaced amines with weak-base protonation capacity, and a hydrophobic backbone that is kept unaggregated by intra-chain repulsion. As a result, in solution PEI exhibits multiple buffering mechanisms, and polyelectrolyte states that shift between aggregated and free forms. We studied the interplay between the aggregation and protonation behavior of 2.5 kDa linear PEI by pH probing, vapor pressure osmometry, dynamic light scattering, and ninhydrin assay. Our results indicate that: At neutral pH, the PEI chains are associated and the addition of NaCl initially reduces and then increases the extent of association. The aggregate form is uncollapsed and co-exists with the free chains. PEI buffering occurs due to continuous or discontinuous charging between stalled states. Ninhydrin assay tracks the number of unprotonated amines in PEI. The size of PEI-DNA complexes is not significantly affected by the free vs. aggregated state of the PEI polymer.
Despite its simple chemical structure, linear PEI displays intricate solution dynamics, which can be harnessed for environment-sensitive biomaterials and for overcoming current challenges with DNA delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A. Curtis
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Howard University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Danielle Miller
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Howard University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Paul Millard
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Howard University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Saswati Basu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Howard University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Ferenc Horkay
- Section on Quantitative Imaging and Tissue Sciences, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PC); (FH)
| | - Preethi L Chandran
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Howard University, Washington, DC, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PC); (FH)
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Hayden RM, Goldberg GK, Ferguson BM, Schoeneck MW, Libardo MDJ, Mayeux SE, Shrestha A, Bogardus KA, Hammer J, Pryshchep S, Lehman HK, McCormick ML, Blazyk J, Angeles-Boza AM, Fu R, Cotten ML. Complementary Effects of Host Defense Peptides Piscidin 1 and Piscidin 3 on DNA and Lipid Membranes: Biophysical Insights into Contrasting Biological Activities. J Phys Chem B 2015; 119:15235-46. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b09685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert M. Hayden
- Department
of Chemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
| | - Gina K. Goldberg
- Department
of Chemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
| | - Bryan M. Ferguson
- Department
of Chemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
| | - Mason W. Schoeneck
- Department
of Chemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
| | - M. Daben J. Libardo
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Sophie E. Mayeux
- Department
of Chemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
| | - Akritee Shrestha
- Department
of Chemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
| | - Kimberly A. Bogardus
- Department
of Chemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
| | - Janet Hammer
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, United States
| | - Sergey Pryshchep
- Center
for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, United States
| | - Herman K. Lehman
- Department
of Biology, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
| | | | - Jack Blazyk
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, United States
| | - Alfredo M. Angeles-Boza
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Riqiang Fu
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
| | - Myriam L. Cotten
- Department
of Chemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323, United States
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