Quadruplex knots as network nodes: nano-partitioning of guanosine derivates in supramolecular hydrogels.

Nava, Giovanni; Carducci, Federica; Itri, Rosangela; Yoneda, Juliana Sakamoto; Bellini, Tommaso; Mariani, Paolo · Soft Matter · 2019

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Aqueous solutions of guanosine-5'-monophosphates (GMP) - known to form G-quadruplexes and liquid crystal phases - can be induced to turn into high water content gels by the addition of guanosine (Gua). By a combination of Light Scattering (LS) and AFM we show that Gua/GMP hydrogels are microscopically heterogeneous, formed by Gua-rich disordered microcoils of intertwined filaments ("knots") connected by GMP-rich long linear threads. The different thermal stability of knots and threads controls the gel transition.