Synthesis and characterization of methylated poly(L-histidine) to control the stability of its siRNA polyion complexes for RNAi

Bioconjug Chem. 2012 Jul 18;23(7):1437-42. doi: 10.1021/bc300044r. Epub 2012 Jun 22.

Abstract

Poly(L-histidine) (PLH) with dimethylimidazole groups has been synthesized as a pH-sensitive polypeptide to control the stability of its small interfering RNA (siRNA) polyion complexes for RNA interference (RNAi). The resulting methylated PLH (PLH-Me) was water-soluble despite deprotonation of the imidazole groups at physiological pH, as determined by acid-base titration and solution turbidity measurement. Agarose gel retardation assay proved that the quaternary dimethylimidazole groups worked as cationic groups to retain siRNA. The stability of the PLH-Me/siRNA complexes has depended on the content of hydrophobic groups, that is, τ/π-methylimidazole groups as well as deprotonated imidazole groups. PLH-Me exhibited no significant cytotoxicity despite the existence of cationic dimethylimidazole groups. By use of PLH-Me as a pH-sensitive siRNA carrier, the PLH-Me/siRNA complexes mediated efficient siRNA delivery attributed to the dimethylimidazole groups, and the gene silencing depended on the content balance among dimethyl, τ/π-methyl, and unmodified imidazole groups. These results suggest that PLH-Me controls the stability of siRNA polyion complexes by enhancing noncytotoxic siRNA delivery by optimizing the content balance of dimethyl, τ/π-methyl, and unmodified imidazole groups.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Histidine / chemical synthesis
  • Histidine / chemistry*
  • Histidine / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Imidazoles / chemistry
  • Ions / chemistry
  • Methylation
  • Molecular Structure
  • RNA Interference* / drug effects
  • RNA, Small Interfering / chemistry*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Imidazoles
  • Ions
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • polyhistidine
  • Histidine