A novel method for DNA delivery into bacteria using cationic copolymers

Author(s)

V.V. de Souza ^[1] ; P.A.M. Vitale ^[2] ; F.H. Florenzano ^[3] ; R.K. Salinas ^[4] ; I.M. Cuccovia ^[5]

Affiliation

^[1] Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Química. Departamento de Bioquímica - Brasil

^[2] Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Química. Departamento de Bioquímica - Brasil

^[3] Universidade de São Paulo. Escola de Engenharia de Lorena. Departamento de Engenharia de Materiais - Brasil

^[4] Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Química. Departamento de Bioquímica - Brasil

^[5] Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Química. Departamento de Bioquímica - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research; v. 54, n. 5 2021-04-02.

Abstract

Amphiphilic copolymers have a wide variety of medical and biotechnological applications, including DNA transfection in eukaryotic cells. Still, no polymer-primed transfection of prokaryotic cells has been described. The reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymer synthesis technique and the reversible deactivation radical polymerization variants allow the design of polymers with well-controlled molar mass, morphology, and hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity ratios. RAFT was used to synthesize two amphiphilic copolymers containing different ratios of the amphiphilic poly[2-(dimethyl-amino) ethyl methacrylate] and the hydrophobic poly [methyl methacrylate]. These copolymers bound to pUC-19 DNA and successfully transfected non-competent Escherichia coli DH5α, with transformation efficiency in the range of 103 colony-forming units per µg of plasmid DNA. These results demonstrate prokaryote transformation using polymers with controlled amphiphilic/hydrophobic ratios. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/07490-1 - Structural studies of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger and of proteins from the Zika virus by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy in solution
• Grantee: Roberto Kopke Salinas
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/08166-5 - Interfacial chemistry: drugs, peptides and ezymes interactions with membrane models
• Grantee: Iolanda Midea Cuccovia
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 17/05614-8 - Na +/Ca2+ exchangers: relationship between structure and function
• Grantee: Phelipe Augusto Mariano Vitale
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)