Preparation and mechanism insight of nuclear envelope-like polymer vesicles for facile loading of biomacromolecules and enhanced biocatalytic activity

ACS Nano. 2014 Jul 22;8(7):6644-54. doi: 10.1021/nn502386j.

Abstract

The facile loading of sensitive and fragile biomacromolecules, such as glucose oxidase, hemoglobin, and ribonucleic acid (RNA), via synthetic vehicles directly in pure aqueous media is an important technical challenge. Inspired by the nucleus pore complex that connects the cell nucleus and the cytoplasm across the nuclear envelope, here we describe the development of a kind of polymeric nuclear envelope-like vesicle (NEV) to address this problem. The NEV is tailored to form the polymer pore complex (70 nm, similar to a nucleus pore complex) within the vesicle membrane based on nanophase segregation, which is confirmed via fluorescence spectrometry and dynamic light scattering (DLS) during self-assembly. This pH-triggered polymer pore complex can mediate the transportation of biomacromolecules across the vesicle membrane. Moreover, the NEVs facilitate the natural consecutive enzyme-catalyzed reactions via the H(+) sponge effect. This simple strategy might also be extended for mimicking other synthetic cell organelles.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biocatalysis*
  • Biomimetic Materials / chemistry*
  • Coumarins / chemistry
  • Drug Carriers / chemistry*
  • Drug Design
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry
  • Glucose Oxidase / chemistry
  • Glucose Oxidase / metabolism
  • Hemoglobins / chemistry
  • Hemoglobins / metabolism
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry*
  • Macromolecular Substances / metabolism*
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Nuclear Envelope / chemistry*
  • Photochemical Processes
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • RNA, Small Interfering / chemistry
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics

Substances

  • Coumarins
  • Drug Carriers
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Hemoglobins
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Polymers
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • coumarin
  • Glucose Oxidase