Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
08:30
Gene-therapy Inspired Polycation Coating for Protection of DNA Origami Nanostructures
Published on: January 19, 2019
A method to encapsulate molecular cargo within DNA icosahedra
Dhiraj Bhatia1, Saikat Chakraborty, Shabana Mehtab
1National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|April 3, 2013
Summary
DNA icosahedra were constructed for maximal encapsulation volume. This study demonstrates their functionality as nanocapsules for gold nanoparticles and biomolecules.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
Background:
- DNA self-assembly enables the creation of polyhedra with potential as nanocapsules.
- Platonic solids offer maximal encapsulation volume, a key feature for nanocarriers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To construct a DNA icosahedron using modular self-assembly.
- To evaluate the encapsulation efficiency and functionality of DNA polyhedra as nanocapsules.
Main Methods:
- Modular self-assembly strategy to construct DNA icosahedra.
- Encapsulation of gold nanoparticles and FITC dextran within DNA icosahedra.
- Methodology to assess DNA polyhedron functionality for cargo delivery.
Main Results:
- Successful construction of a DNA icosahedron.
- Demonstrated encapsulation of gold nanoparticles and FITC dextran.
- Established a method for determining DNA nanocapsule functionality.
Conclusions:
- DNA icosahedra can be effectively constructed for nanocapsule applications.
- These DNA nanocapsules show promise for targeted delivery of molecular cargo.
- The developed method validates DNA polyhedra as functional nanocarriers.
Related Concept Videos
00:58DNA Packaging
Overview
00:58DNA Packaging
Overview
00:58Genomic DNA in Eukaryotes
Eukaryotes have large genomes compared to prokaryotes. To fit their genomes into a cell, eukaryotic DNA is packaged extraordinarily tightly inside the nucleus. To achieve this, DNA is tightly wound around proteins called histones, which are packaged into nucleosomes that are joined by linker DNA and coil into chromatin fibers. Additional fibrous proteins further compact the chromatin, which is recognizable as chromosomes during certain phases of cell division.
01:12Clathrin Coated Vesicles
Clathrin-coated vesicles use endocytosis to transport receptors and lysosomal hydrolases from the Golgi to the lysosome in the late secretory pathway. Clathrin-mediated endocytosis was the first described endocytic process, and Clathrin-coated vesicles remain one of the most well-studied transport vesicles. The molecular machinery that generates clathrin-coated vesicles comprises over 50 proteins that precisely coordinate vesicle formation. Cell surface receptors concentrated in indented sites...
02:05DNA as a Genetic Template
Two structural features of the DNA molecule provide a basis for the mechanisms of heredity: the four nucleotide bases and its double-stranded nature. The Watson-Crick model of double-helical DNA structure, proposed in 1952, drew heavily upon the X-ray crystallography work of researchers Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. Watson, Crick, and Wilkins jointly received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in 1962. Franklin was, controversially, excluded from the prize for...
01:32Chromatin Packaging
Each human somatic cell contains 6 billion base pairs of DNA. Each base pair is 0.34 nm long, meaning each diploid cell contains a staggering 2 meters of DNA. This long DNA strand is packed inside a nucleus measuring only 10-20 microns in diameter with the help of specialized DNA-binding proteins called histones. Together they form a compact DNA-protein complex called chromatin. The chromatin is further compacted into higher-order structures. The highest level of compaction is achieved during...