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- Svahn, Mathias G., et al.
(författare)
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Self-assembling supramolecular complexes by single-stranded extension from plasmid DNA
- 2007
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Ingår i: Oligonucleotides. - : Mary Ann Liebert Inc. - 1545-4576 .- 1557-8526. ; 17:1, s. 80-94
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Self-assembling supramolecular complexes are of great interest for bottom-up research like nanotechnology. DNA is an inexpensive building block with sequence-specific self-assembling capabilities through Watson-Crick and/or Hoogsteen base pairing and could be used for applications in surface chemistry, material science, nanomechanics, nanoelectronics, nanorobotics, and of course in biology. The starting point is usually single-stranded DNA, which is rather easily accessible for base pairing and duplex formation. When long stretches of double-stranded DNA are desirable, serving either as genetic codes or electrical wires, bacterial expansion of plasmids is an inexpensive approach with scale-up properties. Here, we present a method for using double-stranded DNA of any sequence for generating simple structures, such as junctions and DNA lattices. It is known that supercoiled plasmids are strand-invaded by certain DNA analogs. Here we add to the complexity by using Selfassembling UNiversal (SUN) anchors formed by DNA analog oligonucleotides, synthesized with an extension, a sticky-end that can be used for further base pairing with single-stranded DNA. We show here how the same set of SUN anchors can be utilized for gene therapy, plasmid purification, junction for lattices, and plasmid dimerization through Watson-Crick base pairing. Using atomic force microscopy, it has been possible to characterize and quantify individual components of such supra-molecular complexes.
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