DNA gel particles:: Particle preparation and release characteristics

Aqueous mixtures of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes undergo associative phase separation, resulting in coacervation, gelation, or precipitation. This phenomenon has been exploited here to form DNA gel particles by interfacial diffusion. We report the formation of DNA gel particles by mixing solutions of DNA (either single-stranded (ssDNA) or double-stranded (dsDNA)) with solutions of cationic surfactant CTAB and solutions of the protein lysozyme. Swelling, surface morphology, and DNA release determinations indicate different interaction of ssDNA and dsDNA with both the surfactant and the protein. By using CTAB and lysozyme as the base material, the formation of a DNA reservoir hydrogel, without adding any kind of cross-linker or organic solvent, was demostrated.