10.1021/bc2003378.s001 Shoichiro Asayama Shoichiro Asayama Satoshi Nishinohara Satoshi Nishinohara Hiroyoshi Kawakami Hiroyoshi Kawakami Zinc-Chelated Poly(1-vinylimidazole) and a Carbohydrate Ligand Polycation Form DNA Ternary Complexes for Gene Delivery American Chemical Society 2011 recognition cell surface receptors gene expression Carbohydrate Ligand Polycation Form DNA Ternary Complexes carbohydrate ligand polycation DNA ternary complexes dissociation 2011-09-21 00:00:00 Journal contribution https://acs.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Zinc_Chelated_Poly_1_vinylimidazole_and_a_Carbohydrate_Ligand_Polycation_Form_DNA_Ternary_Complexes_for_Gene_Delivery/2612017 Zinc-chelated poly(1-vinylimidazole) (PVIm-Zn) and a carbohydrate ligand polycation, a poly(l-lysine) conjugated with lactose molecules (PLL-Lac), have formed DNA ternary complexes for gene delivery. The particle size of the PVIm-Zn/DNA complexes with negative zeta potential was decreased by the addition of the PLL-Lac. The resulting PLL-Lac/PVIm-Zn/DNA ternary complexes, which exhibited the pH-dependent dissociation of the PLL-Lac, mediated more gene expression than the PVIm/DNA binary complexes. The PLL-Lac/PVIm-Zn/DNA complexes with the specific recognition of cell surface receptors mediated the highest gene expression without cytotoxicity at a relatively lower charge ratio (positive/negative = 2.5). These results suggest that the pH-dependent dissociation of the carbohydrate ligands after the recognition of cell surface receptors, including the physicochemical and biochemical function of PVIm-Zn, played an important role in gene expression.