Target-molecule-triggered rupture of aptamer-encapsulated polyelectrolyte microcapsules

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biotechnology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Polyelectrolyte microcapsules offer potential as stimulus-responsive carriers.
• Aptamers are highly specific DNA/RNA molecules with molecular recognition capabilities.
• Encapsulating aptamers within microcapsules could enable targeted payload delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop stable polyelectrolyte microcapsules containing aptamers.
• To investigate target-molecule-triggered microcapsule rupture for controlled release.
• To assess the specificity of the triggered release mechanism.

Main Methods:

• Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly on a CaCO3 template.
• Predoping the template with polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) and aptamer sequences (SA).
• Utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) for analysis.

Main Results:

• Stable polyelectrolyte microcapsules with encapsulated aptamers were successfully fabricated.
• Microcapsule collapse was triggered specifically by the binding of sulforhodamine B (SRB) to the aptamers.
• Tetramethylrosamine (TMR), a non-binding dye, did not induce microcapsule collapse, confirming specificity.

Conclusions:

• The developed microcapsules demonstrate target-molecule-triggered rupture properties.
• The aptamer-mediated release mechanism is highly specific.
• These aptamer-loaded microcapsules show promise for targeted delivery systems and controlled release applications.