Glycovirus

Calix [4]resorcarene-based macrocyclic glycocluster amphiphiles irreversibly form 5-nm sized micellar nanoparticles (GNPs) in water. They are agglutinated with Na2HPO4 via sugar-to-phosphate hydrogen-bonding and also assembled on plasmid DNA in a number-, size-, and shape-controlled manner to give artificial glycoviruses of a size of 50 nm, which, depending on the saccharide moieties involved, are further aggregated. The glycoviruses are capable of endocytosis-mediated transfection of cell cultures, where only monomeric glycovirus undergoes size-allowed endocytosis. The optimal size at similar to 50 nm for endocytic cellular uptake is confirmed by competition using GNP (5 nm) and a glycocluster conjugate of CdSe quantum dot (15 nm) together with glycovirus (50 nm) as size probes. The growth of glycocluster amphiphile through nanoparticle to glycovirus reveals a hierarchical adhesion control of the saccharide clusters.