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Related Concept Videos

Formation of Complex Ions03:45

Formation of Complex Ions

A type of Lewis acid-base chemistry involves the formation of a complex ion (or a coordination complex) comprising a central atom, typically a transition metal cation, surrounded by ions or molecules called ligands. These ligands can be neutral molecules like H2O or NH3, or ions such as CN− or OH−. Often, the ligands act as Lewis bases, donating a pair of electrons to the central atom. These types of Lewis acid-base reactions are examples of a broad subdiscipline called coordination...
Complexation Equilibria: The Chelate Effect01:19

Complexation Equilibria: The Chelate Effect

In complexation reactions, metal atoms or cations interact with ligands to form donor-acceptor adducts called metal complexes. Ligands that bind through one donor site are monodentate, ligands with two donor sites are bidentate, and those with more than two donor sites are polydentate ligands. For example, ethylene diamine is a bidentate ligand that binds through two nitrogen donor atoms, forming a five-membered ring. EDTA is a polydentate ligand that binds through four oxygen and two nitrogen...
Noncovalent Attractions in Biomolecules02:35

Noncovalent Attractions in Biomolecules

Noncovalent attractions are associations within and between molecules that influence the shape and structural stability of complexes. These interactions differ from covalent bonding in that they do not involve sharing of electrons.
Four types of noncovalent interactions are hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, ionic bonds, and hydrophobic interactions.
Hydrogen bonding results from the electrostatic attraction of a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a strong-electronegative atom like oxygen,...
Nucleic Acid Structure01:25

Nucleic Acid Structure

The pentose sugar in DNA is deoxyribose, while in RNA the pentose sugar is ribose. The difference between the sugars is the presence of the hydroxyl group on the ribose's second carbon and a hydrogen on the deoxyribose's second carbon. The phosphate residue attaches to the hydroxyl group of the 5′ carbon of one sugar and the hydroxyl group of the 3′ carbon of the sugar of the next nucleotide, which forms  a 5′ to 3′ phosphodiester linkage.
DNA Structure
DNA has a double-helix structure. The...
Intermolecular Forces03:13

Intermolecular Forces

Atoms and molecules interact through bonds (or forces): intramolecular and intermolecular. The forces are electrostatic as they arise from interactions (attractive or repulsive) between charged species (permanent, partial, or temporary charges) and exist with varying strengths between ions, polar, nonpolar, and neutral molecules. The different types of intermolecular forces are ion–dipole, dipole–dipole, hydrogen bonds, and dispersion; among these, dipole–dipole, hydrogen bonds, and dispersion...
Valence Bond Theory02:42

Valence Bond Theory

Coordination compounds and complexes exhibit different colors, geometries, and magnetic behavior, depending on the metal atom/ion and ligands from which they are composed. In an attempt to explain the bonding and structure of coordination complexes, Linus Pauling proposed the valence bond theory, or VBT, using the concepts of hybridization and the overlapping of the atomic orbitals. According to VBT, the central metal atom or ion (Lewis acid) hybridizes to provide empty orbitals of suitable...

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Synthetic Condensates and Cell-Like Architectures from Amphiphilic DNA Nanostructures
08:02

Synthetic Condensates and Cell-Like Architectures from Amphiphilic DNA Nanostructures

Published on: May 31, 2024

Structural analysis of DNA complexation with cationic lipids.

Regis Marty1, Christophe N N'soukpoé-Kossi, David Charbonneau

  • 1Department of Chemistry-Biology, University of Québec at Trois-Rivières, C.P. 500, Trois-Rivières (Québec), Canada G9A 5H7.

Nucleic Acids Research
|December 24, 2008
PubMed
Summary

This study investigated how cationic lipids like DOTAP and DDAB interact with DNA for gene therapy. Researchers found varying lipid-DNA complex stability and conformational changes, with DOTAP forming the most stable complexes.

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Synthetic Condensates and Cell-Like Architectures from Amphiphilic DNA Nanostructures
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Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles
08:44

Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles

Published on: March 2, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Cationic liposomes are key for gene therapy and vaccines, delivering genetic material into cells.
  • The precise mechanisms and stability of lipid-DNA interactions remain areas of active research and debate.
  • Understanding these interactions is crucial for optimizing gene delivery systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the complexation of calf-thymus DNA with cholesterol (Chol), DOTAP, DDAB, and DOPE.
  • To determine the binding constants and analyze the effects of lipid interactions on DNA stability and conformation.
  • To elucidate the binding sites and nature of interactions (electrostatic vs. hydrophobic) between lipids and DNA.

Main Methods:

  • Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy
  • UV-visible spectroscopy
  • Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy
  • Atomic force microscopy (AFM)

Main Results:

  • Strong lipid-DNA interactions were observed via DNA grooves and phosphate backbone.
  • Binding constants varied, with DOTAP showing the highest (3.1 x 10^4 M^-1) and Chol/DOPE the lowest (1.4-1.45 x 10^4 M^-1).
  • Lipid-DNA complex stability followed the order: DOTAP > DDAB > DOPE > Chol. Conformational changes (B to A or B to C DNA) and aggregation occurred at high lipid concentrations.

Conclusions:

  • Cationic lipids interact strongly with DNA through electrostatic and hydrophobic forces.
  • Lipid type significantly influences DNA binding affinity, complex stability, and DNA conformation.
  • Findings provide insights into optimizing cationic lipid-DNA complexes for gene delivery applications.