Interaction of the nucleic acid, DNA, with a model biomembrane at the oil-water interface

The information gained in the study will be invaluable in aiding our understanding of the structure and transport properties of the cell membrane as well as helping in the development of vehicles to improve the delivery of nucleic acids (i.e. gene). In this experiment we would like to investigate the intermolecular interactions that occur between nucleic acids (i.e. siRNA/DNA) with mixed phospholipid/cholesterol monolayers at the oil-water interface in the presence of the divalent cation, Ca++, using neutron reflectometry in combination with contrast variation. The conformational order of the film as function of DNA/siRNA concentration will be studied and compared with comparable films at the (simpler) air-water interface.

本研究获取的相关信息，将对我们深入理解细胞膜的结构与转运特性具有极高价值，同时助力开发用于提升核酸（即基因）递送效率的载体系统。本实验拟采用中子反射术 (neutron reflectometry) 结合对比度变化法 (contrast variation)，探究在二价阳离子Ca²+存在的条件下，油-水界面处核酸（即小干扰RNA (siRNA)/脱氧核糖核酸 (DNA)）与混合磷脂/胆固醇单分子层之间发生的分子间相互作用。本研究还将考察该膜层的构象有序度随DNA/siRNA浓度的变化规律，并将其与更简易的气-水界面处的同类膜层进行对比分析。