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Tang D, Fan W, Xiong M, Li M, Xiong B, Zhang XB. Topological DNA Tetrahedron Encapsulated Gold Nanoparticle Enables Precise Ligand Engineering for Targeted Cell Imaging. Anal Chem 2021; 93:17036-17042. [PMID: 34910458 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c03682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ligand-functionalized plasmonic nanoparticles have been widely used for targeted imaging in living systems. However, ligand presentation and encoding on the nanoparticle's surface in a stoichiometrically controllable manner remains a great challenge. Herein, we propose a method to construct ligand-engineered plasmonic nanoprobes by using nanoparticle encapsulation with topological DNA tetrahedrons, which enables the programmed ligand loading for precise regulation of targeting efficiency of nanoprobes in biorelated applications. With this method, we demonstrated the preparation of functionalized plasmonic nanoprobes by programmed loading of RGD peptides and aptamers onto the DNA tetrahedron encapsulated gold nanoparticles with controllable stoichiometric ratios. The cell imaging and particle counting assays suggested that the targeting efficiency of the nanoprobes could be readily modulated by tailoring the number and stoichiometric ratios of the loaded ligands, respectively. It can be anticipated that this robust strategy could provide new opportunities for the construction of efficacious nanoprobes and delivery systems for versatile bioapplications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Decui Tang
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Wenjun Fan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Mengyi Xiong
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Mili Li
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Bin Xiong
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Bing Zhang
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China
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Bai H, Li J, Zhang H, Liu S. Simulative Analysis of a Family of DNA Tetrahedrons Produced by Changing the Twisting Number of Each Double Helix. JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL BIOPHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY 2021. [DOI: 10.1142/s2737416521500319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, three tetrahedral nanocages, composed of six DNA double helix edges with all having the twist number 1, 2 or 3, have been characterized using classical molecular dynamics simulation to measure the specific structural and conformational features produced by only changing the twisting number of each double helix. The simulation result indicates that three tetrahedral cages are relatively stable and are maintained along the entire trajectory. Each double helix is more inclined to behave as a whole in the 2TD and 3TD cages than in the 1TD cage according to the cross-correlation maps for three nanocages, and also their local motions are more easily induced by the conformational variability of the thymidine linkers due to the increased flexibility of each helix. Hence, the double helices become the important factors on the structural stability of total cages with the DNA twisting number, and also give the signification contributions to the sizes of these cages conferring the larger spaces of the 2TD and 3TD cages than the 1TD cage. Our result provides an insight into which roles the double helix edges play in assembling DNA polyhedron, and also contribute to improving the loading capacity of DNA tetrahedron in drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Bai
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, P. R. China
| | - Jia Li
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, P. R. China
| | - Heng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, P. R. China
| | - Shuya Liu
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, P. R. China
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Pezeshkian W, Shillcock JC, Ipsen JH. Computational Approaches to Explore Bacterial Toxin Entry into the Host Cell. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13070449. [PMID: 34203472 PMCID: PMC8309782 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13070449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Many bacteria secrete toxic protein complexes that modify and disrupt essential processes in the infected cell that can lead to cell death. To conduct their action, these toxins often need to cross the cell membrane and reach a specific substrate inside the cell. The investigation of these protein complexes is essential not only for understanding their biological functions but also for the rational design of targeted drug delivery vehicles that must navigate across the cell membrane to deliver their therapeutic payload. Despite the immense advances in experimental techniques, the investigations of the toxin entry mechanism have remained challenging. Computer simulations are robust complementary tools that allow for the exploration of biological processes in exceptional detail. In this review, we first highlight the strength of computational methods, with a special focus on all-atom molecular dynamics, coarse-grained, and mesoscopic models, for exploring different stages of the toxin protein entry mechanism. We then summarize recent developments that are significantly advancing our understanding, notably of the glycolipid–lectin (GL-Lect) endocytosis of bacterial Shiga and cholera toxins. The methods discussed here are also applicable to the design of membrane-penetrating nanoparticles and the study of the phenomenon of protein phase separation at the surface of the membrane. Finally, we discuss other likely routes for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weria Pezeshkian
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9712 Groningen, The Netherlands
- Correspondence:
| | - Julian C. Shillcock
- Blue Brain Project, Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland;
| | - John H. Ipsen
- MEMPHYS/PhyLife, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy (FKF), University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark;
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Casalini T. Not only in silico drug discovery: Molecular modeling towards in silico drug delivery formulations. J Control Release 2021; 332:390-417. [PMID: 33675875 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The use of methods at molecular scale for the discovery of new potential active ligands, as well as previously unknown binding sites for target proteins, is now an established reality. Literature offers many successful stories of active compounds developed starting from insights obtained in silico and approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA). One of the most famous examples is raltegravir, a HIV integrase inhibitor, which was developed after the discovery of a previously unknown transient binding area thanks to molecular dynamics simulations. Molecular simulations have the potential to also improve the design and engineering of drug delivery devices, which are still largely based on fundamental conservation equations. Although they can highlight the dominant release mechanism and quantitatively link the release rate to design parameters (size, drug loading, et cetera), their spatial resolution does not allow to fully capture how phenomena at molecular scale influence system behavior. In this scenario, the "computational microscope" offered by simulations at atomic scale can shed light on the impact of molecular interactions on crucial parameters such as release rate and the response of the drug delivery device to external stimuli, providing insights that are difficult or impossible to obtain experimentally. Moreover, the new paradigm brought by nanomedicine further underlined the importance of such computational microscope to study the interactions between nanoparticles and biological components with an unprecedented level of detail. Such knowledge is a fundamental pillar to perform device engineering and to achieve efficient and safe formulations. After a brief theoretical background, this review aims at discussing the potential of molecular simulations for the rational design of drug delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Bioscience, Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, Zürich 8093, Switzerland; Polymer Engineering Laboratory, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Via la Santa 1, Lugano 6962, Switzerland.
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Dong Y, Yao C, Zhu Y, Yang L, Luo D, Yang D. DNA Functional Materials Assembled from Branched DNA: Design, Synthesis, and Applications. Chem Rev 2020; 120:9420-9481. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuhang Dong
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Chi Yao
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Yi Zhu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Lu Yang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Dan Luo
- Department of Biological & Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Dayong Yang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
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Saurabh S, Sivakumar PM, Perumal V, Khosravi A, Sugumaran A, Prabhawathi V. Molecular Dynamics Simulations in Drug Discovery and Drug Delivery. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-36260-7_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
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Naskar S, Joshi H, Chakraborty B, Seeman NC, Maiti PK. Atomic structures of RNA nanotubes and their comparison with DNA nanotubes. NANOSCALE 2019; 11:14863-14878. [PMID: 31355845 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr00786e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We present a computational framework to model RNA based nanostructures and study their microscopic structures. We model hexagonal nanotubes made of 6 dsRNA (RNTs) connected by double crossover (DX) at different positions. Using several hundred nano-second (ns) long all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we study the atomic structure, conformational change and elastic properties of RNTs in the presence of explicit water and ions. Based on several structural quantities such as root mean square deviation (RMSD) and root mean square fluctuation (RMSF), we find that the RNTs are almost as stable as DNA nanotubes (DNTs). Although the central portion of the RNTs maintain its cylindrical shape, both the terminal regions open up to give rise to a gating like behavior which can play a crucial role in drug delivery. From the bending angle distribution, we observe that the RNTs are more flexible than DNTs. The calculated persistence length of the RNTs is in the micron range which is an order of magnitude higher than that of a single dsRNA. The stretch modulus of the RNTs from the contour length distribution is in the range of 4-7 nN depending on the sequence. The calculated persistence length and stretch modulus are in the same range of values as in the case of DNTs. To understand the structural properties of RNTs at the individual base-pair level we have also calculated all the helicoidal parameters and analyzed the relative flexibility and rigidity of RNTs having a different sequence. These findings emphasized the fascinating properties of RNTs which will expedite further theoretical and experimental studies in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supriyo Naskar
- Center for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
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Pereira GRC, Da Silva ANR, Do Nascimento SS, De Mesquita JF. In silico analysis and molecular dynamics simulation of human superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3) genetic variants. J Cell Biochem 2018; 120:3583-3598. [DOI: 10.1002/jcb.27636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- G. R. C. Pereira
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO) Rio de Janeiro Brazil
| | - A. N. R. Da Silva
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO) Rio de Janeiro Brazil
| | - S. S. Do Nascimento
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO) Rio de Janeiro Brazil
| | - J. F. De Mesquita
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO) Rio de Janeiro Brazil
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Garai A, Ghoshdastidar D, Senapati S, Maiti PK. Ionic liquids make DNA rigid. J Chem Phys 2018; 149:045104. [PMID: 30068211 DOI: 10.1063/1.5026640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Persistence length of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) is known to decrease with an increase in ionic concentration of the solution. In contrast to this, here we show that the persistence length of dsDNA increases dramatically as a function of ionic liquid (IL) concentration. Using all atom explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations and theoretical models, we present, for the first time, a systematic study to determine the mechanical properties of dsDNA in various hydrated ILs at different concentrations. We find that dsDNA in 50 wt % ILs have lower persistence length and stretch modulus in comparison to 80 wt % ILs. We further observe that both the persistence length and stretch modulus of dsDNA increase as we increase the concentration of ILs. The present trend of the stretch modulus and persistence length of dsDNA with IL concentration supports the predictions of the macroscopic elastic theory, in contrast to the behavior exhibited by dsDNA in monovalent salt. Our study further suggests the preferable ILs that can be used for maintaining DNA stability during long-term storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashok Garai
- Department of Physics, Centre for Condensed Matter Theory, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Debostuti Ghoshdastidar
- Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
| | - Sanjib Senapati
- Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
| | - Prabal K Maiti
- Department of Physics, Centre for Condensed Matter Theory, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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Joshi H, Maiti PK. Structure and electrical properties of DNA nanotubes embedded in lipid bilayer membranes. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 46:2234-2242. [PMID: 29136243 PMCID: PMC5861442 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx1078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Engineering the synthetic nanopores through lipid bilayer membrane to access the interior of a cell is a long persisting challenge in biotechnology. Here, we demonstrate the stability and dynamics of a tile-based 6-helix DNA nanotube (DNT) embedded in POPC lipid bilayer using the analysis of 0.2 μs long equilibrium MD simulation trajectories. We observe that the head groups of the lipid molecules close to the lumen cooperatively tilt towards the hydrophilic sugar-phosphate backbone of DNA and form a toroidal structure around the patch of DNT protruding in the membrane. Further, we explore the effect of ionic concentrations to the in-solution structure and stability of the lipid-DNT complex. Transmembrane ionic current measurements for the constant electric field MD simulation provide the I-V characteristics of the water filled DNT lumen in lipid membrane. With increasing salt concentrations, the measured values of transmembrane ionic conductance of the porous DNT lumen vary from 4.3 to 20.6 nS. Simulations of the DNTs with ssDNA and dsDNA overhangs at the mouth of the pore show gating effect with remarkable difference in the transmembrane ionic conductivities for open and close state nanopores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Joshi
- Center for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Prabal K Maiti
- Center for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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Veetil AT, Chakraborty K, Xiao K, Minter MR, Sisodia SS, Krishnan Y. Cell-targetable DNA nanocapsules for spatiotemporal release of caged bioactive small molecules. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2017; 12:1183-1189. [PMID: 28825714 DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2017.159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Achieving triggered release of small molecules with spatial and temporal precision at designated cells within an organism remains a challenge. By combining a cell-targetable, icosahedral DNA-nanocapsule loaded with photoresponsive polymers, we show cytosolic delivery of small molecules with the spatial resolution of single endosomes in specific cells in Caenorhabditis elegans. Our technology can report on the extent of small molecules released after photoactivation as well as pinpoint the location at which uncaging of the molecules occurred. We apply this technology to release dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a neurosteroid that promotes neurogenesis and neuron survival, and determined the timescale of neuronal activation by DHEA, using light-induced release of DHEA from targeted DNA nanocapsules. Importantly, sequestration inside the DNA capsule prevents photocaged DHEA from activating neurons prematurely. Our methodology can in principle be generalized to diverse neurostimulatory molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aneesh T Veetil
- Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- Grossman Institute of Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behaviour, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Kasturi Chakraborty
- Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- Grossman Institute of Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behaviour, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Kangni Xiao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- Grossman Institute of Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behaviour, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Myles R Minter
- Grossman Institute of Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behaviour, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- The Microbiome Center, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Sangram S Sisodia
- Grossman Institute of Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behaviour, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- The Microbiome Center, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Yamuna Krishnan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- Grossman Institute of Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behaviour, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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