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Updated: May 15, 2026

Self-Assembly of Gamma-Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids into Complex Nanostructures in Organic Solvent Mixtures
Published on: June 26, 2020
DNA nanostructure serum stability: greater than the sum of its parts
Justin W Conway1, Christopher K McLaughlin, Katherine J Castor
1Department of Chemistry, 801 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC, Canada H3A0B8.
Abstract:
Simple chemical modifications to oligonucleotide ends with hexaethylene glycol and hexanediol are shown to significantly increase nuclease resistance under serum conditions. The modified oligonucleotides were used to construct DNA prismatic cages in a single step and in quantitative yield. These cages further stabilize their strands towards nucleases, with lifetimes of 62 hours in serum. The cages contain a large number of single-stranded regions for functionalization, illustrating their versatility for biological applications.
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