Novel N,N '-diacyl-1,3-diaminopropyl-2-carbamoyl bivalent cationic lipids for gene delivery--synthesis, in vitro transfection activity, and physicochemical characterization

Phenylalanine and Tryptophan-Based Surfactants as New Antibacterial Agents: Characterization, Self-Aggregation Properties, and DPPC/Surfactants Vesicles Formulation

Cationic surfactants based on phenylalanine (C_nPC₃NH₃Cl) and tryptophan (C_nTC₃NH₃Cl) were synthesized using renewable raw materials as starting compounds and a green synthetic procedure. The synthesis, acid-base equilibrium, aggregation properties, and antibacterial activity were investigated. Conductivity and fluorescence were used to establish critical micelle concentrations. Micellization of C_nPC₃NH₃Cl and C_nTC₃NH₃Cl occurred in the ranges of 0.42-16.2 mM and 0.29-4.6 mM, respectively. Since those surfactants have some acidic character, the apparent pK_a was determined through titrations, observing increasing acidity with increasing chain length and being slightly more acidic with the phenylalanine than the tryptophan derivatives. Both families showed promising antibacterial efficacy against eight different bacterial strains. Molecular docking studies against the enzyme peptidoglycan glycosyltransferase (PDB ID:2OQO) were used to investigate the potential binding mechanism of target surfactant molecules. According to small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) results, the surfactants incorporate into DPPC (Dipalmitoyl Phosphatidyl Choline) bilayers without strong perturbation up to high surfactant concentration. Some of the C₁₂TC₃NH₃Cl/DPPC formulations (40%/60% and 20%/80% molar ratios) exhibited good antibacterial activity, while the others were not effective against the tested bacteria. The strong affinity between DPPC and surfactant molecules, as determined by the DFT (density functional theory) method, could be one of the reasons for the loss of antibacterial activity of these cationic surfactants when they are incorporated in vesicles.

Aggregation behavior of a gemini surfactant with a tripeptide spacer

A peptide gemini surfactant, 12-G(NH2)LG(NH2)-12, has been constructed with two dodecyl chains separately attached to the two terminals of a glutamic acid-lysine-glutamic acid peptide and the aggregation behavior of the surfactant was studied in aqueous solution. The 12-G(NH2)LG(NH2)-12 molecules form fiber-like precipitates around pH 7.0, and the precipitation range is widened on increasing the concentration. At pHs 3.0 and 11.0, 12-G(NH2)LG(NH2)-12 forms soluble aggregates because each molecule carries two positively charged amino groups at the two ends of the peptide spacer at pH 3.0, while each molecule carries one negatively charged carboxyl group in the middle of the peptide spacer at pH 11.0. 12-G(NH2)LG(NH2)-12 displays a similar concentration-dependent process at these two pHs: forming small micelles above the critical micelle concentration and transferring to fibers at pH 3.0 or twisted ribbons at pH 11.0 above the second critical concentration. The fibers formed at pH 3.0 tend to aggregate into bundles with twisted structure. Both the twisted fibers at pH 3.0 and the twisted ribbons at pH 11.0 contain β-sheet structure formed by the peptide spacer.

Influence of nanoparticle-membrane electrostatic interactions on membrane fluidity and bending elasticity

The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of electrostatic interactions between the nanoparticles and the membrane lipids on altering the physical properties of the liposomal membrane such as fluidity and bending elasticity. For this purpose, we have used nanoparticles and lipids with different surface charges. Positively charged iron oxide (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles, neutral and negatively charged cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles were encapsulated in neutral lipid 1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and negatively charged 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-L-serine lipid mixture. Membrane fluidity was assessed through the anisotropy measurements using the fluorescent probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene. Though the interaction of both the types of nanoparticles reduced the membrane fluidity, the results were more pronounced in the negatively charged liposomes encapsulated with positively charged iron oxide nanoparticles due to strong electrostatic attractions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results also confirmed the presence of significant quantity of positively charged iron oxide nanoparticles in negatively charged liposomes. Through thermally induced shape fluctuation measurements of the giant liposomes, a considerable reduction in the bending elasticity modulus was observed for cobalt ferrite nanoparticles. The experimental results were supported by the simulation studies using modified Langevin-Poisson-Boltzmann model.

pH-Sensitive surfactants from lysine: assessment of their cytotoxicity and environmental behavior

The toxicity and environmental behavior of new pH-sensitive surfactants from lysine are presented. Three different chemical structures are studied: surfactants with one amino acid and one alkyl chain, surfactants with two amino acids on the polar head and one alkyl chain, and gemini surfactants. The pH sensitivity of these compounds can be tuned by modifying their chemical structures. Cytotoxicity has been evaluated using erythrocytes and fibroblast cells. The toxic effects against these cells depend on the hydrophobicity of the molecules as well as their cationic charge density. The effect of hydrophobicity and cationic charge density on toxicity is different for each type of cells. For erythrocytes, the toxicity increases as hydrophobicity and charge density increases. Nevertheless, for fibroblasts cationic charge density affects cytotoxicity in the opposite way: the higher charge density, the lower the toxicity. The effect of the pH on hemolysis has been evaluated in detail. The aquatic toxicity was established using Daphnia magna . All surfactants yielded EC(50) values considerably higher than that reported for cationic surfactants based on quaternary ammonium groups. Finally, their biodegradability was evaluated using the CO(2) headspace test (ISO 14593). These lysine derivatives showed high levels of biodegradation under aerobic conditions and can be classified as "readily biodegradable compounds".

From gene delivery to gene silencing: plasmid DNA-transfecting cationic lipid 1,3-dimyristoylamidopropane-2-[bis(2-dimethylaminoethane)] carbamate efficiently promotes small interfering RNA-induced RNA interference

The cationic lipid 1,3-dimyristoylamidopropane-2-[bis(2-dimethylaminoethane)] carbamate (1,3lb2) was applied as a delivery system for small interfering RNA (siRNA) to inhibit the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in vitro in human prostate carcinoma cell line PC-3. VEGF protein silencing peaked at 94% when cationic lipid-nucleic acid complexes (lipoplexes) were formulated at a nitrogen:phosphorothioate ratio (N:P) of 2 with a dose concentration of 53.7 nM, and the performance of these lipoplexes was not impeded by serum. Knockdown efficiency was maintained for at least 72 h, and an IC(50) of 12 nM lasted for 48 h. Only 20% of the total siRNA became cell-associated at this N:P, at a rate of 25 ng/h. Lipoplexes of the optimal formulation were relatively monodisperse, having an average diameter of 634 nm and a zeta potential of -21.3 mV. Formation of the 1,3lb2-siRNA complex reached 94% at an N:P of 2 and was positively cooperative; the binding constant was calculated in the range of 10(5) M(-1), and a Hill coefficient of 3 was determined. 1,3lb2 was found to be a nontoxic and potent carrier of siRNA that binds to the nucleic acid effectively and whose lipoplexes promote long-lasting inhibition, have high biological activity at low N:Ps, and are functional in the presence of serum.