Figure 2.

Effect of oligonucleotide dimensionality on endocytosis. (A) Cy5–ssDNAs cannot enter C166 cells in amounts detectable by confocal microscopy. (B) However, with their 3D architecture, Cy5–SNAs that contain the same total DNA concentration can readily enter cells, starting from binding to the cell membrane 30 min after incubation to populating the cytosol 2 h after incubation. (C) Encapsulation of Cy5–ssDNAs with DharmaFECT, a conventional cationic transfection agent, led to the tracing of the cell border by Cy5–ssDNAs without significant intracellular accumulation. (D) Hollow Cy5–SNAs enter cells with kinetics and degree comparable to Cy5–SNAs. Reproduced with permission from ref (14). Copyright 2013 National Academy of Sciences.