A novel method for DNA delivery into bacteria using cationic copolymers

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.

Optimal combination of 3-component photoinitiation system to increase the degree of conversion of resin monomers / 대한치과보존학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the optimal combination of 3-component photoinitiation system, consisting of CQ, p-octyloxy-phenyl-phenyl iodonium hexafluoroantimonate (OPPI), and 2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) to increase the degree of conversion of resin monomers, and analyze the effect of the ratio of the photoinitiator to the co-initiator. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Each photoinitiators (CQ and OPP) and co-initiator (DMAEMA) were mixed in three levels with 0.2 wt.% (low concentration, L), 1.0 wt.% (medium concentration, M), and 2.0 wt.% (high concentration, H). A total of nine groups using the Taguchi method were tested according to the following proportion of components in the photoinitiator system: LLL, LMM, LHH, MLM, MMH, MHL, HLH, HML, HHM. Each monomer was polymerized using a quartz-tungsten-halogen curing unit (Demetron 400, USA) for 5, 20, 40, 60, 300 sec and the degree of conversion (DC) was determined at each exposure time using FTIR. RESULTS: Significant differences were found for DC values in groups. MMH group and HHM group exhibited greater initial DC than the others. No significant difference was found with the ratio of the photoinitiators (CQ, OPPI) to the co-initiator (DMAEMA). The concentrations of CQ didn't affect the DC values, but those of OPPI did strongly. CONCLUSIONS: MMH and HHM groups seem to be best ones to get increased DC. MMH group is indicated for bright, translucent color and HHM group is good for dark, opaque colored-resin.