Stepwise self-assembly of DNA tile lattices using dsDNA bridges

The simple helical motif of double-strand DNA (dsDNA) has typically been judged to be uninteresting for assembly in DNA-based nanotechnology applications. In this letter, we demonstrate construction of superstructures consisting of heterogeneous DNA motifs using dsDNA in conjunction with more complex, cross-tile building blocks. Incorporation of dsDNA bridges in stepwise assembly processes can be used for controlling length and directionality of superstructures and is analogous to the "reprogramming" of sticky-ends displayed on the DNA tiles. Two distinct self-assembled DNA lattices, fixed-size nanoarrays, and extended 2D crystals of nanotracks with nanobridges, are constructed and visualized by high-resolution, liquid-phase atomic force microscopy.