Analysis of oligonucleotide DNA binding to hydrotalcites and other nanomaterials

Abstract

Hydrotalcite (HT) is a naturally occurring double metal hydroxide nanomaterial consisting of magnesium and aluminum ions that exhibits plate‐like morphology. The metal hydroxide layers have a positive charge that is compensated by negatively charged interlayer anions due to isomorphous substitution of Al3+ for Mg2+. These interlayer anions can be exchanged with various external anions, including biomolecules. Biomolecules such as nucleic acids and proteins form strong associations with HT because they can associate with the positively charged layers. The binding of nucleic acids with HT and other nanomaterials is currently being investigated for potential use in gene therapy; however, the binding of specific nucleic acid forms, such as single‐ and double‐stranded DNA, has been little explored. In this project, a series of HTs were prepared at different temperatures and with different anion exchange capacities (milliequivalents per 100 grams). The goal of the project is to investigate the binding of different forms of DNA with each series of HT. Initial experiments have demonstrated that HTs synthesized at higher temperatures associate with both single‐ and double‐stranded DNA more tightly than HTs synthesized at room temperature, likely due to the hydrothermal conditions promoting larger particle sizes.