Nanogyroids incorporating multivalent lipids: enhanced membrane charge density and pore forming ability for gene
Cecília Leal1, Kai K Ewert, Rahau S Shirazi
1Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA. cecilial@mrl.ucsb.edu
Abstract:
The self-assembly of a custom-synthesized pentavalent cationic lipid (MVL5) and glycerol monooleate (GMO) with small interfering RNA (siRNA) results in the formation of a double-gyroid bicontinuous inverted cubic phase with colocalized lipid/siRNA domains as shown by synchrotron X-ray scattering and fluorescence microscopy. The high charge density (due to MVL5) and positive Gaussian modulus of the GMO-containing membranes confer optimal electrostatic and elastic properties for endosomal escape, enabling efficient siRNA delivery and effective, specific gene silencing.
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