Falsini Sara, Ristori Sandra, Ciani Laura, Di Cola Emanuela, Supuran Claudiu T, Arcangeli Annarosa, In Martin
Department of Chemistry "Ugo Shiff" & CSGI, University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy.
Soft Matter. 2014 Apr 7;10(13):2226-33. doi: 10.1039/c3sm52429a.
The complexation of siRNA (small interfering RNA) with cationic micelles was studied using time dependent synchrotron SAXS. Micelles were formed by two types of divalent cationic surfactants, i.e. Gemini bis(quaternary ammonium) bromide with variable spacer length (12-3-12, 12-6-12, 12-12-12) and a weak electrolyte surfactant (SH14) with triazine head. Immediately after mixing (t < 50 ms), new large aggregates appeared in solution and the scattering intensity at low q increased. Concomitantly, the presence of a quasi-Bragg peak at q ∼ 1.5 nm(-1) indicated core structuring within the complexes. We hypothesize that siRNA and micelles are alternately arranged into "sandwiches", forming domains with internal structural coherence. The process of complex reorganization followed a first-order kinetics and was completed in less than about 5 minutes, after which a steady state was reached. Aggregates containing Geminis were compact globular structures whose gyration radii Rg depended on the spacer length and were in the order of 7-27 nm. Complexes containing SH14 (Rg = 14-16 nm) were less ordered and possessed a looser internal arrangement. The obtained data, joint with previous structural investigation using Dynamic Light Scattering, Zeta Potential and Small Angle Neutron Scattering, are encouraging evidence for using these systems in biological trials. In fact we showed that transfection agents can be obtained by simply mixing a micelle solution of the cationic surfactant and a siRNA solution, both of which are easily prepared and stable.
利用时间分辨同步辐射小角X射线散射(SAXS)研究了小干扰RNA(siRNA)与阳离子胶束的复合情况。胶束由两种二价阳离子表面活性剂形成,即具有可变间隔长度的双子季铵盐溴化物(12-3-12、12-6-12、12-12-12)和具有三嗪头基的弱电解质表面活性剂(SH14)。混合后立即(t < 50毫秒),溶液中出现新的大聚集体,低q处的散射强度增加。同时,在q ∼ 1.5 nm⁻¹处出现准布拉格峰,表明复合物内部存在核心结构。我们推测siRNA和胶束交替排列成“三明治”结构,形成具有内部结构连贯性的区域。复合体重组过程遵循一级动力学,在不到约5分钟内完成,之后达到稳态。含有双子季铵盐的聚集体是紧密的球状结构,其回转半径Rg取决于间隔长度,约为7 - 27 nm。含有SH14的复合物(Rg = 14 - 16 nm)有序性较差,内部排列较松散。所获得的数据与先前使用动态光散射、zeta电位和小角中子散射进行的结构研究相结合,为在生物试验中使用这些系统提供了令人鼓舞的证据。事实上,我们表明通过简单混合阳离子表面活性剂的胶束溶液和siRNA溶液即可获得转染剂,这两种溶液都易于制备且稳定。