Revisiting the Conformational Flexibility of DNA 3-Arm Junctions for Nanoconstruction.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 42244241.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c01632.
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Abstract
Programmed DNA self-assembly, based on branched DNA structures, provides a general approach for constructing defined nanostructures for drug delivery, biosensing, nanofabrication, and information processing and storage. Three-arm DNA junctions (3aJs), the simplest branched DNA structures, are among the earliest explored DNA motifs for nanoconstruction. However, they have flexible and ill-defined conformations, which greatly limit their use in DNA nanoconstruction. Herein, we report a strategy to address this 40-year quest to reduce the conformational flexibility of individual 3aJs. We further enhance their structural rigidity by geometrically coupling multiple 3aJs into polygon motifs. The resulting 3aJ-containing motifs readily self-assemble into predesigned, higher-order large architectures. This work greatly expands the toolbox for DNA nanoconstruction. In addition, they provide essential structural information for modeling the conformations of natural nucleic acids.