Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Self-Assembly of Gamma-Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids into Complex Nanostructures in Organic Solvent Mixtures
Published on: June 26, 2020
Synthesis of two mirror image 4-helix junctions derived from glycerol nucleic acid
Richard S Zhang1, Elizabeth O McCullum, John C Chaput
1Center for BioOptical Nanotechnology, Biodesign Institute, and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1604, USA.
Abstract:
Structural DNA nanotechnology relies on Watson-Crick base pairing rules to assemble DNA motifs into diverse arrangements of geometric shapes and patterns. While substantial effort has been devoted to expanding the programmability of natural DNA, considerably less attention has been given to the development of nucleic acid structures based on non-natural DNA polymers. Here we describe the use of glycerol nucleic acid (GNA), a simple polymer based on an acyclic repeating unit, as an alternative genetic material for assembling nucleic acid nanostructures independent of RNA or DNA recognition. We synthesized two 4-helix junctions based entirely on GNA self-pairing and showed that GNA provides easy access to highly stable nanostructures with left- and right-handed helical configurations.
Related Concept Videos
The DNA Helix
The DNA Helix
DNA Replication
Replication in Prokaryotes
DNA replication uses a large number of...
DNA Helicases
Nucleic Acid Structure
DNA Structure
DNA has a double-helix structure. The...
DNA as a Genetic Template

