Hideyuki Mitomo

Sub-100 nm Gold Nanoparticle Vesicles as a Drug Delivery Carrier enabling Rapid Drug Release upon Light Irradiation

Previously, we reported gold nanoparticles coated with semifluorinated ligands self-assembled into gold nanoparticle vesicles (AuNVs) with a sub-100 nm diameter in tetrahydrofuran (THF). (1) Although this size is potentially useful for in vivo use, the biomedical applications of AuNVs were limited, as the vesicular structure collapsed in water. In this paper, we demonstrate that the AuNVs can be dispersed in water by cross-linking each gold nanoparticle with thiol-terminated PEG so that the cross-linked vesicles can work as a drug delivery carrier enabling light-triggered release. Rhodamine dyes or anticancer drugs were encapsulated within the cross-linked vesicles by heating to 62.5 °C. At this temperature, the gaps between nanoparticles open, as confirmed by a blue shift in the plasmon peak and the more efficient encapsulation than that observed at room temperature. The cross-linked AuNVs released encapsulated drugs upon short-term laser irradiation (5 min, 532 nm) by again opening the nanogaps between each nanoparticle in the vesicle. On the contrary, when heating the solution to 70 °C, the release speed of encapsulated dyes was much lower (more than 2 h) than that triggered by laser irradiation, indicating that cross-linked AuNVs are highly responsive to light. The vesicles were efficiently internalized into cells compared to discrete gold nanoparticles and released anticancer drugs upon laser irradiation in cells. These results indicate that cross-linked AuNVs, sub-100 nm in size, could be a new type of light-responsive drug delivery carrier applicable to the biomedical field.

Loosening and Reorganization of Fluid Phospholipid Bilayers by Chloroform

The mixing behavior of an exchangeable phospholipid (A) with an exchangeable sterol (B) in host bilayers made from 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) containing varying concentrations of cholesterol has been examined via the nearest-neighbor recognition method. At low sterol concentrations (i.e., 2.5 mol %), the mixing between A and B is close to ideal. Incremental increases in the sterol concentration to 40 mol % led to net increases in the affinity between A and B. Similar mixing experiments that were carried out in the presence of chloroform showed a leveling effect, where moderate sterol-phospholipid affinity was observed in all cases. These results, together with the fact that the number of chloroform molecules that are absorbed per phospholipid is essentially constant and independent of the sterol content, support a model in which chloroform favors solvation of the phospholipids and a common membrane state is produced. Fluorescence measurements and Raman spectra have also shown that chloroform significantly loosens both cholesterol-poor and cholesterol-rich membranes made from DPPC. In a broader context, these results suggest a fundamentally new mechanism of anesthesia, where the anesthetic, by solvating the lipid components, profoundly changes the lateral organization of the lipid framework.

Synthesis of Janus-Like Gold Nanoparticles with Hydrophilic/Hydrophobic Faces by Surface Ligand Exchange and Their Self-Assemblies in Water

This study aims at the synthesis of Janus gold nanoparticles (Janus GNPs) with hydrophilic/hydrophobic faces by a simple ligand exchange reaction in an homogeneous system and at the elucidation of the self-assembled structures of the Janus GNPs in water. As hydrophilic surface ligands, we synthesized hexaethylene glycol (E6)-terminated thiolate ligands with C3, C7, or C11 alkyl chains, referred to as E6C3, E6C7, and E6C11, respectively. As a hydrophobic ligand, a butyl-headed thiolate ligand C4-E6C11, in which a C4 alkyl was introduced on the E6C11 terminus, was synthesized. The degree of segregation between the two ligands on the GNPs (5 nm in diameter) was examined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of fright mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis. We found that the choice of immobilization methods, one-step or two-step addition of the two ligands to the GNP solution, crucially affects the degree of segregation. The two-step addition of a hydrophilic ligand (E6C3) followed by a hydrophobic ligand (C4-E6C11) produced a large degree of segregation on the GNPs, providing Janus-like GNPs. When dispersed in water, these Janus-like GNPs formed assemblies of ∼160 nm in diameter, whereas Domain GNPs, in which the two ligands formed partial domains on the surface, were precipitated even when the molar ratio of the hydrophilic ligand and the hydrophobic ligand on the surface of the NPs was almost 1:1. The assembled structure of the Janus-like GNPs in water was directly observed by pulsed coherent X-ray solution scattering using an X-ray free-electron laser, revealing irregular spherical structures with uneven surfaces.

DNA-templated plasmonic Ag/AgCl nanostructures for molecular selective photocatalysis and photocatalytic inactivation of cancer cells

Silver halide (AgX, X = Cl, Br, I)-based materials represent an emerging class of heterogeneous photocatalysts. Despite progress in the synthesis of carrier-separated AgX-based photocatalysts, a number of issues remain unaddressed, including complicated synthesis, unfavorably large size and therefore poor photocatalytic performance of the resultant structures. Here we show the one-step DNA-programmable synthesis of Ag/AgCl nanostructures that takes only approximately 1 min for photocatalytic application. The optimal DNA-encapsulated structures show DNA sequence-specific sizes down to less than 40 nm with a Ag/AgCl composition ratio of 2 : 1, affording a vastly increased surface area and higher photocatalytic activity than any Ag/AgX nanostructures reported previously by over two orders of magnitude. From a physical standpoint, importantly, the plasmonic nanostructured silver in Ag/AgCl accelerates the photocatalytic reaction in terms of fast electron injection to AgCl, leading to enhanced hole-electron separation and high-performance photocatalysis under visible light. To test the effect of DNA encapsulation on the Ag/AgCl nanostructures, both positively and negatively charged organic compounds serve as the model pollutants to assess their photocatalytic selectivity. Our results show that the photodecomposition of the positively charged compounds obeys a first-order rate law, whereas the negatively charged compound is decomposed with zero-order kinetics. This comparison offers a mechanistic insight into reaction kinetics on the DNA-encapsulated photocatalyst. We further find that the DNA-encapsulated Ag/AgCl photocatalysts are robust and can be recycled. To extend the applicability of the Ag/AgCl nanostructures, their use in the efficient photocatalytic inactivation of cancer cells is also demonstrated for the first time, opening up a new avenue to daylight-based theranostics.

Yolk/Shell Assembly of Gold Nanoparticles by Size Segregation in Solution

We demonstrate that binary mixtures of small and large gold nanoparticles (GNPs) (5/15, 5/30, 10/30, and 15/30 nm in diameter) in the presence of a glucose-terminated fluorinated oligo(ethylene glycol) ligand can spontaneously form size-segregated assemblies. The outermost layer of the assembly is composed of a single layer of small-sized GNPs, while the larger-sized GNPs are located in the interior, forming what is referred to as a yolk/shell assembly. Time course study reveals that small and large GNPs aggregate together, and these kinetically trapped aggregations were transformed into a size-segregated structure by repeating fusions. A yolk/shell structure was directly visualized in solution by X-ray laser diffraction imaging, indicating that the structure was truly formed in solution, but not through a drying process.

Amphiphilic Gold Nanoparticles Displaying Flexible Bifurcated Ligands as a Carrier for siRNA Delivery into the Cell Cytosol

The nanoparticle-based delivery of siRNA with a noncationic outermost surface at a low particle concentration is greatly desired. We newly synthesized a bifurcated ligand (BL) possessing hydrophobic and hydrophilic arms as a surface ligand for gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to allow siRNA delivery. The concept underlying the design of this ligand is that amphiphilic property should allow AuNPs to permeate the cell cytosol thorough the endosomal membrane. BLs and quaternary cationic ligands were codisplayed on 40 nm AuNPs, which were subsequently coated with siRNA via electrostatic interaction. The number of siRNAs immobilized on a single nanoparticle was 26, and the conjugate showed a negative zeta potential due to siRNAs on the outermost surface of the AuNPs. Apparent gene silencing of luciferase expression in HeLa cells was achieved at an AuNP concentration as low as 60 pM. Almost no gene silencing was observed for AuNPs not displaying BLs. To reveal the effect of the BL, we compared the number of AuNPs internalized into HeLa cells and the localization in the cytosol between AuNPs displaying and those not displaying BLs. These analyses indicated that the role of BLs is not only the simple promotion of cellular uptake but also involves the enhancement of AuNPs permeation into the cytosol from the endosomes, leading to effective gene silencing.

Nanopattern fabrication of gold on hydrogels and application to tunable photonic crystal.

A polymer hydrogel consists of an elastic cross-linked polymer network with water fi lling the interstitial spaces, giving hydrogels viscoelastic properties. [ 1 , 2 ] One specifi c hydrogel characteristic is that the gel swelling state can be modulated through environmental changes, including pH, ionic species, ionic concentration, and temperature, and through physical stimuli such as UV light and electromagnetic fi elds. This enables dynamic control of the gel expansion and contraction, and of the permeation of fl uids or solutes, [ 2 , 3 ] and enables gel applications as stimuli-responsive soft, wet matter, including artifi cial muscles, [ 4 , 5 ]

Oxysterol-Induced Rearrangement of the Liquid-Ordered Phase: A Possible Link to Alzheimer’s Disease?

Nearest-neighbor recognition measurements have been made for an exchangeable phospholipid (A) interacting with an exchangeable form of cholesterol (B) in host membranes derived from 1, 2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and varying concentrations of cholesterol, 7beta-hydroxycholesterol (7beta-OH), and 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-OH). Whereas partial replacement of cholesterol with 7beta-OH strengthens the association between A and B, a similar substitution with 25-OH weakens this association. A model that accounts for this dichotomy, and the possible relevance of these findings to the cytotoxicity of 7beta-OH and to Alzheimers disease are briefly discussed.

Reduced sterol-phospholipid recognition in curved fluid bilayers.

Nearest-neighbor recognition experiments have been carried out in fluid liposomal membranes made from 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) and cholesterol using exchangeable dimers derived from 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine and cholesterol. In cholesterol-rich bilayers, the association between these two exchangeable lipids was reduced as the curvature of the membrane increases; that is, when the diameter of the liposomes was below ca. 200 nm. In sharp contrast, the mixing of these exchangeable lipids was close to random in the cholesterol-poor membranes, regardless of their curvature. The biological implications of these findings are briefly discussed.

DNA-modulated photo-transformation of AgCl to silver nanoparticles: visiting the formation mechanism

Solution-phase synthesis and post-synthetic bio-modification have continued to play a dominant role in preparation of nanostructured biomaterials. Heterogeneous nucleation and growth that occur much more often in nature, however, remain rarely explored in nano-biomaterials research. We have newly developed a DNA-modulated photoconversion approach to uniform silver nanoparticles that afford DNA-directed recognition and multi-mode imaging. The present study was aimed at understanding the rapid heterogeneous nucleation and growth of AgNPs at the solid-liquid interface with the aid of DNA. Dynamic changes in absorbance, size and morphology of silver nanostructures were monitored and analyzed to clarify the growth kinetics, which indicated a synthetic route involving synchronous growth of silver nanostructures and the fragmentation and consumption of AgCl. Various stabilizers, including polymer and amino acids, were assessed and compared with respect to the efficacy in photoconversion of AgCl. DNA was found to offer the best monodispersity and the smallest diameter for the resultant AgNPs, due to its strong interactions to silver species as well as excellent charge dispersion ability. By controlling the physicochemical property of DNA through choice of pH and ionic strength, we have demonstrated tunable structure and composition of the nanoparticles.