Sound Packing DNA: packing open circular DNA with low-intensity ultrasound.
Author: Park D1, Jung BK2, Park H3, Lee H4, Lee G5, Park J4, Shin U4, Won JH4, Jo YJ4, Chang JW6, Lee S4, Yoon D7, Seo J4, Kim CW1.
Affiliation:
1Department of Pathology, Tumor Immunity Medical Research Center, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. 2Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea. 3School of Electronic Electrical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea. 4Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, Gangwon-do, Korea. 5School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. 6Department of Neurosurgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. 7School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea. Abstract
Conference/Journal: Sci Rep.
Date published: 2015 Apr 20
Other:
Volume ID: 5 , Pages: 9846 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1038/srep09846 , Word Count: 144
Abstract
Supercoiling DNA (folding DNA into a more compact molecule) from open circular forms requires significant bending energy. The double helix is coiled into a higher order helix form; thus it occupies a smaller footprint. Compact packing of DNA is essential to improve the efficiency of gene delivery, which has broad implications in biology and pharmaceutical research. Here we show that low-intensity pulsed ultrasound can pack open circular DNA into supercoil form. Plasmid DNA subjected to 5.4 mW/cm(2) intensity ultrasound showed significant (p-values <0.001) supercoiling compared to DNA without exposure to ultrasound. Radiation force induced from ultrasound and dragging force from the fluid are believed to be the main factors that cause supercoiling. This study provides the first evidence to show that low-intensity ultrasound can directly alter DNA topology. We anticipate our results to be a starting point for improved non-viral gene delivery.
PMID: 25892035
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