Minimalist covalent organic polymers for delivery of functional DNA cargo in mammalian cells

Polymeric carriers enhance targeted drug delivery by increasing efficacy while minimizing off-target effects. These carriers comprise a biodegradable polymeric backbone integrated with functional elements that enable targeting, improve physicochemical properties, and regulate drug release.Targeting MechanismsThe targeting ability of polymeric carriers is mediated by a homing device, which is a molecular recognition component designed to selectively bind to specific tissues or cells. Monoclonal...

Eukaryotes have large genomes compared to prokaryotes. In order to fit their genomes into a cell, eukaryotes must pack their DNA tightly inside the nucleus. To do so, DNA is wound around proteins called histones to form nucleosomes, the main unit of DNA packaging. Nucleosomes then coil into compact fibers known as chromatin.You Have Enough DNA to Stretch to the Sun and Back Hundreds of TimesMost cells in the human body contain about 3 billion base pairs of DNA packaged into 23 pairs of...

Eukaryotes have large genomes compared to prokaryotes. In order to fit their genomes into a cell, eukaryotes must pack their DNA tightly inside the nucleus. To do so, DNA is wound around proteins called histones to form nucleosomes, the main unit of DNA packaging. Nucleosomes then coil into compact fibers known as chromatin.You Have Enough DNA to Stretch to the Sun and Back Hundreds of TimesMost cells in the human body contain about 3 billion base pairs of DNA packaged into 23 pairs of...

Only genes that are transcribed into messenger RNA (mRNA) are active, or expressed. Scientists can, therefore, extract the mRNA from cells to study gene expression in different cells and tissues. The scientist converts mRNA into complementary DNA (cDNA) via reverse transcription. Because mRNA does not contain introns (non-coding regions) and other regulatory sequences, cDNA—unlike genomic DNA—also allows researchers to directly determine the amino acid sequence of the peptide encoded by the...

DNA-only transposons are called autonomous transposons since they code for the enzyme transposase that is required for the transposition mechanism. Insertion of transposons can alter gene functions in multiple ways. They can mutate the gene, alter gene expression by introducing a novel promoter or insulator sequence, introduce new splice sites, and change the mRNA transcripts produced, or remodel chromatin structure.
The donor site from where the transposon is excised is either degraded or...

For successful DNA replication, the unwinding of double-stranded DNA must be accompanied by stabilization and protection of the separated single strands of the DNA. This crucial task is performed by single-strand DNA-binding (SSB) proteins. They bind to the DNA in a sequence-independent manner, which means that the nitrogenous bases of the DNA need not be present in a specific order for binding of SSB proteins to it. The binding of SSB proteins straightens single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and makes...