AMP Aptamer Programs DNA Tile Cohesion without Canonical Base Pairing
Zhe Zhang, Jin Jin, Victoria E. Paluzzi, Zhuoer Jin, Yuandong Wen, Cheng Zhi Huang, Chun Mei Li, Chengde Mao, Hua Zuo
Abstract
Tile-based DNA self-assembly provides a versatile approach for the construction of a wide range of nanostructures for various applications such as nanomedicine and advanced materials. The inter-tile interactions are primarily programmed by base pairing, particularly Watson-Crick base pairing. To further expand the tool box for DNA nanotechnology, herein, we have designed DNA tiles that contain both ligands and aptamers. Upon ligand-aptamer binding, tiles associate into geometrically well-defined nanostructures. This strategy has been demonstrated by the assembly of a series of DNA nanostructures, which have been thoroughly characterized by gel electrophoresis and atomic force microscopy. This new inter-tile cohesion could bring new potentials to DNA self-assembly in the future. For example, the addition of free ligand could modulate the nanostructure formation. In the case of biological ligands, DNA self-assembly could be related to the presence of certain ligands.