Virus-Sized DNA Nanoparticles for Gene Delivery Based on Micelles of Cationic Calixarenes

• Published in: Chemistry : a European journal Vol. 17; no. 20; pp. 5526 - 5538
• Main Authors: Rodik, Roman V., Klymchenko, Andrey S., Jain, Namrata, Miroshnichenko, Stanislav I., Richert, Ludovic, Kalchenko, Vitaly I., Mély, Yves
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 09.05.2011; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc; Wiley-VCH Verlag
• Subjects: Aqueous solutions; Assembly; Biochemistry, Molecular Biology; Calixarenes; Calixarenes - chemical synthesis; Calixarenes - chemistry; Cationic; Cellular Biology; Chemistry; Chemistry, Multidisciplinary; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA - chemistry; DNA Viruses - genetics; gene delivery; Gene Transfer Techniques; Genes; HeLa Cells; Humans; Life Sciences; Micelles; Models, Molecular; Molecular Structure; Nanoparticles; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Physical Sciences; Science & Technology; Self assembly; calixarenes; COMPLEXES; LOW-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT; TRANSFECTION EFFICIENCY; micelles; FLUORESCENCE CORRELATION SPECTROSCOPY; ARTIFICIAL VIRUSES; gene delivery; self-assembly; NANO DEVICE; SUPRAMOLECULAR ASSEMBLIES; DNA; PLASMID DNA; AGGREGATION; NONVIRAL VECTORS
• ISSN: 0947-6539; 1521-3765; 1521-3765
• DOI: 10.1002/chem.201100154

Macrocyclic amphiphilic molecules based on calix[4]arenes are highly attractive for controlled supramolecular assembly of DNA into small nanoparticles, since they present a unique conical architecture and can bear multiple charged groups. In the present work, we synthesized new amphiphilic calixarenes bearing cationic groups at the upper rim and alkyl chains at the lower rim. Their self‐assembly in aqueous solution was characterized by fluorescent probes, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, gel electrophoresis and atomic force microscopy. We found that calixarenes bearing long alkyl chains (octyl) self‐assemble into micelles of 6 nm diameter at low critical micellar concentration and present the unique ability to condense DNA into small nanoparticles of about 50 nm diameter. In contrast, the short‐chain (propyl) analogues that cannot form micelles at low concentrations failed to condense DNA, giving large polydisperse DNA complexes. Thus, formation of small DNA nanoparticles is hierarchical, requiring assembly of calixarenes into micellar building blocks that further co‐assemble with DNA into small virus‐sized particles. The latter showed much better gene transfection efficiency in cell cultures relative to the large DNA complexes with the short‐chain analogues, which indicates that gene delivery of calixarene/DNA complexes depends strongly on their structure. Moreover, all cationic calixarenes studied showed low cytotoxicity. Thus, this work presents a two‐step hierarchical assembly of small DNA nanoparticles for gene delivery based on amphiphilic cone‐shaped cationic calixarenes. Calixarene/DNA nanoparticles: Cone‐shaped cationic amphiphilic calixarenes synthesized in this work form micelles of 6 nm diameter that can compact DNA into small nanoparticles of about 50 nm diameter (see figure; scale bar=1 μm). These virus‐sized particles showed promising transfection properties and low cytotoxicity in cell culture and therefore can be of interest for the development of new gene delivery vectors.