TY - JOUR
T1 - α-amino acid pendant polymers as endosomal pH-responsive gene carriers
AU - Wada, Takuya
AU - Kano, Arihiro
AU - Shimada, Naohiko
AU - Maruyama, Atsushi
PY - 2012/3/1
Y1 - 2012/3/1
N2 - In order to prepare gene carriers responsive to an endosomal pH, amino groups of linear poly(allylamine) (PAA) or poly(L-lysine) (PLL) were coupled with a-carboxyl groups of α-amino acids (Gly, His, Lys, Arg, and Orn). Acid-base titration indicated that Lys-, Arg-, and Orn-pendant polymers had both strongly basic groups and endoso-mal pH-responsive α-amino groups. These polymers, like PAA and PLL, formed stable complexes with DNA. Lys-, Arg-, and Orn-pendant polymers were effective transfection reagents independent of the backbone polymers. The pH-responsive α-amino groups enhanced transfection activity as shown by the observation that acetylation of the α-amino group resulted in a considerable loss in transfection activity. These results strongly suggested a lysosomo-tropic activity of the α-amino groups. Among the α-amino acid-pendant polymers tested, the Orn-pendant polymer exhibited the highest transfection activity/toxicity index. Since PLL with α-amino acid-pendants is composed of naturally occurring amino acids, it is expected to be biodegradable, and these reagents have promise as gene carriers.
AB - In order to prepare gene carriers responsive to an endosomal pH, amino groups of linear poly(allylamine) (PAA) or poly(L-lysine) (PLL) were coupled with a-carboxyl groups of α-amino acids (Gly, His, Lys, Arg, and Orn). Acid-base titration indicated that Lys-, Arg-, and Orn-pendant polymers had both strongly basic groups and endoso-mal pH-responsive α-amino groups. These polymers, like PAA and PLL, formed stable complexes with DNA. Lys-, Arg-, and Orn-pendant polymers were effective transfection reagents independent of the backbone polymers. The pH-responsive α-amino groups enhanced transfection activity as shown by the observation that acetylation of the α-amino group resulted in a considerable loss in transfection activity. These results strongly suggested a lysosomo-tropic activity of the α-amino groups. Among the α-amino acid-pendant polymers tested, the Orn-pendant polymer exhibited the highest transfection activity/toxicity index. Since PLL with α-amino acid-pendants is composed of naturally occurring amino acids, it is expected to be biodegradable, and these reagents have promise as gene carriers.
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U2 - 10.1007/s13233-012-0057-7
DO - 10.1007/s13233-012-0057-7
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84862219567
VL - 20
SP - 302
EP - 308
JO - Macromolecular Research
JF - Macromolecular Research
SN - 1598-5032
IS - 3
ER -