We have recently reported the discovery of a new class of peptide nucleic acids that utilize non-native bifacial triamino triazine nucleobase recognition elements that we term bifacial peptide nucleic acid (bPNA).  The synthetic triazine base may engage with two thymine or uracil bases simultaneously, resulting in the formation of heterotriplex structures when polythymidylate or polyuridylate strands are assembled a single bPNA strand.  We have discovered that the L-peptide backbone may be replaced by polyacrylates appropriately functionalized with triazines while retaining selective nucleic acid folding function.  These polyacrylates were prepared with low polydispersity using RAFT polymerization, which further yielded terminal thiol functional groups after cleavage of the trithiocarbonate chain transfer agent used in RAFT.  Thiol alkylation was facile, permitting coupling to lipid vesicles and gold nanoparticles.  The subsequent particles could be noncovalently derivatized in solution with polythymidine terminated DNA molecules that guide vesicle and particle assembly.  We report herein biophysical and structural characterization of vesicle and particle assemblies.

Vesicle and particle assembly driven by polymer-DNA recognition

247th National Meeting (2014)

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