A novel method for DNA delivery into bacteria using cationic copolymers

Braz J Med Biol Res. 2021 Apr 2;54(5):e10743. doi: 10.1590/1414-431X202010743. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Amphiphilic copolymers have a wide variety of medical and biotechnological applications, including DNA transfection in eukaryotic cells. Still, no polymer-primed transfection of prokaryotic cells has been described. The reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymer synthesis technique and the reversible deactivation radical polymerization variants allow the design of polymers with well-controlled molar mass, morphology, and hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity ratios. RAFT was used to synthesize two amphiphilic copolymers containing different ratios of the amphiphilic poly[2-(dimethyl-amino) ethyl methacrylate] and the hydrophobic poly [methyl methacrylate]. These copolymers bound to pUC-19 DNA and successfully transfected non-competent Escherichia coli DH5α, with transformation efficiency in the range of 103 colony-forming units per µg of plasmid DNA. These results demonstrate prokaryote transformation using polymers with controlled amphiphilic/hydrophobic ratios.

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria
  • Cations
  • DNA* / genetics
  • Polymers*
  • Transfection

Substances

  • Cations
  • Polymers
  • DNA