Nucleic acid nanostructures: bottom-up control of geometry on the nanoscale

Abstract

DNA may seem an unlikely molecule from which to build nanostructures, but this is not correct. The specificity of interaction that enables DNA to function so successfully as genetic material also enables its use as a smart molecule for construction on the nanoscale. The key to using DNA for this purpose is the design of stable branched molecules, which expand its ability to interact specifically with other nucleic acid molecules. The same interactions used by genetic engineers can be used to make cohesive interactions with other DNA molecules that lead to a variety of new species. Branched DNA molecules are easy to design, and the can assume a variety of structural motifs. These can be used for purposes both of specific construction, such as polyhedra, and for the assembly of topological targets. A variety of two-dimensional periodic arrays with specific patterns have been made. DNA nanomechanical devices have been built with a series of different triggers, small molecules, nucleic acid molecules and proteins. Recently, progress has been made in self-replication of DNA nano-constructs, and in the scaffolding of other species into DNA arrangements.

Morphology Change of Calcium Carbonate in the Presence of Polynucleotides

“…7,8 . The properties of DNA allow for its use to control both covalent chemistry 9 and the self-assembly of nanoscale objects, devices and lattices 10 Here, we show that these same features make it amenable to establishing structure-activity relationships relevant to the crystallization of CC.…”

Assembly of Two‐Dimensional DNA Crystals Carrying N4‐[2‐(tert‐Butyldisulfanyl)ethyl]cytosine Residues

“…There is a wide range of literature that describes a large variety of periodic arrays and their specific patterns [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. The results of this study demonstrate that DNA lattices carrying a single protected thiol group at specific internal DNA sites can be assembled in aqueous buffers and then deposited onto gold surfaces …”

“…Introduction.-In recent years the use of the self-assembly properties of DNA to generate addressable nanostructures in one, two and three dimensions has become increasingly popular [1][2][3]. A remarkable development in this field was the use of stable DNA Holliday junctions with addressable sticky ends to form two-dimensional DNA crystals [4].…”

“…A remarkable development in this field was the use of stable DNA Holliday junctions with addressable sticky ends to form two-dimensional DNA crystals [4]. The principles of construction described by Seeman have since been used and adapted to generate systems with fine control of shape and function [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. For example, large DNA lattices have been transformed into highly regular two-dimensional DNA networks on surfaces that provide templates for the deposition of gold nanoparticles in a regular square network by using biotin-streptoavidin recognition system [7,8].…”

“…Literature describes the use of self-assembling properties of synthetic oligonucleotides for the construction of periodic arrays on the nanoscale as a potentially interesting technology [2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. There is a wide range of literature that describes a large variety of periodic arrays and their specific patterns [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14].…”