OMSs and reactivity in confined medium

The goal is to take profit of molecules confinement in and on the surface of OMSs, to control and optimize reactivity, especially of hydrophobic compounds in water. In this context, we develop OMSs from functional amphiphiles, which are used in a sustainable development approach for their interface catalysis properties.

Among the research areas associated with the use of nucleic acids, genetic engineering requires the development of molecular systems capable of mimicking the activity of enzymes present in the DNA environment, such as ligases or nucleases, as well as the design of tools to formulate and vectorize DNA. In this context we are developing new organized molecular systems based on reactive lipopeptides. These bio-inspired surfactants containing a histidine motif possess both self-organizing properties and organo-catalytic properties, in particular for hydrolysis reactions. Thus, after demonstrating their effectiveness on the formulation and hydrolysis of model esters, these compounds are used as nuclease models for the controlled hydrolysis of plasmid DNA. This approach is pursued for the study of the photo-degradation of the formulated DNA.

DNA-lipopeptide association and reactivity

>> Synthesis, self-assembly, and catalytic activity of histidine-based structured lipopeptides for hydrolysis reactions in water
Bélières M.; Chouini-Lalanne N.; Déjugnat C.
RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 35830-35842, DOI

>> Histidine-based lipopeptides enhance cleavage of nucleic acids: interactions with DNA and hydrolytic properties
Bélieres M.; Dejugnat D.; Chouini-Lalanne N.
Bioconjugate Chemistry, 2015, 26, 2520-2529, DOI