| Abstract
| - Gemini surfactants are potential candidates as synthetic vectors for the delivery of genes into cells to induce proteinexpression. With the ultimate objective of obtaining a better understanding of the mechanism of DNA transfection,two new asymmetric gemini surfactants (py-3-12 and py-6-12) have been synthesized as fluorescence probes. Thephysicochemical properties and morphologies of the self-assembled aggregates formed in aqueous solution have beenstudied using surface tension, specific conductance, dynamic light scattering (DLS), isothermal titration calorimetry(ITC), and fluorescence techniques. The interaction between pyrene-based gemini surfactants and DNA was investigatedby using UV−vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. Binding constants for the DNA (salmon sperm)-gemini lipoplexeswere measured. Fluorescence studies show that excimer emission occurs upon complexation with DNA.
|
