Partitioning of ssRNA molecules between preformed monolithic HII liquid crystalline phases of lipids and supernatant isotropic phases.

The interaction of nucleic acids with the nanoarchitectures formed by lipidic systems is a new area of research that may offer insights into the functioning of genetic materials in vivo. Here we report that ssRNA has a strong preference to reside in isotropic solution rather than in inverse hexagonal (HII) liquid crystalline phases. This is in contrast to dsDNA, which becomes localized in the pores of the HII phase. The RNA that does associate with the external surfaces of the HII phase appears to form an accretion layer, tens of molecules thick, but this layer still allows the transcription of dsDNA that resides within the pores of the phase.