Hu, Y., & Ying, J. Y. (2023). A Strong Acid‐Induced DNA Hydrogel Based on pH‐Reconfigurable A‐Motif Duplex. Small, 2205909. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202205909
Abstract:
Under a pH value lower than the pKa of adenine (3.5), adenine-rich sequences (A-strand) form a unique parallel A-motif duplex due to the protonation of A-strand. At a pH above 3.5, deprotonation of adenines leads to the dissolution of A-motif duplex to A-strand single coil. This pH-reconfigurable A-motif duplex has been developed as a novel pH-responsive DNA hydrogel, termed A-hydrogel. The hydrogel state is achieved at pH 1.2 by the A-motif duplex bridging units, which are cross-linked by both reverse Hoogsteen interaction and electrostatic attraction. Hydrogel-to-solution transition is triggered by pH 4.3 due to the deprotonation-induced separation of A-motif duplex. The A-hydrogel system undergoes reversible hydrogel–solution transitions by subjecting the system to cyclic pH shifts between 1.2 and 4.3. An anti-inflammatory medicine, sulfasalazine (SSZ), which intercalates into A-motif duplex, is loaded into A-hydrogel. Its pH-controlled release from A-hydrogel is successfully demonstrated. The strong acid-induced A-hydrogel may fill the gap that other mild acid-responsive DNA hydrogels cannot do, such as protection of orally delivered drug in hostile stomach environment against strong acid (pH ~ 1.2) and digestive enzymes.
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Publisher Copyright
Funding Info:
This research / project is supported by the A*STAR - Health and Biomedical Sciences Industry Alignment Fund Pre-Positioning (IAF-PP)
Grant Reference no. : H20H7a0034
This research / project is supported by the A*STAR - Career Development Fund (CDF)
Grant Reference no. : C210112014
This research / project is supported by the A*STAR - SERC Central Research Fund (CRF, UIBR)
Grant Reference no. : KIMR220901aSERCRF
Description:
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Hu, Y., & Ying, J. Y. (2023). A Strong Acid‐Induced DNA Hydrogel Based on pH‐Reconfigurable A‐Motif Duplex. Small, 2205909. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202205909, which has been published in final form at doi.org/10.1002/smll.202205909. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.