Nanogel formation consisting of DNA and poly(amido amine) dendrimer studied by static light scattering and atomic force microscopy

Binding of a poly(amido amine) dendrimer with salmon testes DNA in an aqueous solution of 0.01 M NaCl at pH 6.5 has been investigated. It was shown from the physicochemical experiments of static light scattering and ultra-violet and circular dichroism spectroscopy that at a 0.2 mixing ratio of dendrimer/DNA (number ratio of NH2 groups in dendrimer vs phosphate groups in DNA) significant conformational change of the DNA occurred owing to the binding of dendrimers on the DNA chain. The dendrimer/DNA complexes formed aggregates (nanogels) when the mixing ratio was increased above 0.2. Weight-averaged molecular weight, radius of gyration, and turbidity measurements revealed that the size of the aggregates increased up to a mixing ratio of 0.8. Atomic force microscopic images certified the formation of complexes and the morphology of the nanogels.