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Reprogramming the assembly of unmodified DNA with a small molecule
Nicole Avakyan1, Andrea A Greschner1,2, Faisal Aldaye1
1Department of Chemistry and Centre for Self-assembled Chemical Structures, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada.
Nature Chemistry
|March 23, 2016
Summary
Cyanuric acid reprograms poly(adenine) DNA, RNA, and PNA self-assembly into stable fibers. This discovery shows small molecules can induce nucleic acid assembly for novel structures from affordable materials.
Area of Science:
- Synthetic biology
- Biochemistry
- Materials science
Background:
- DNA's information storage relies on base pairing and double helix formation.
- Expanding DNA's alphabet with synthetic bases can create novel functionalities and structures.
- Reprogramming self-assembly of existing nucleobases offers an alternative route to expand nucleic acid structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore reprogramming the self-assembly of existing nucleobases using small molecules.
- To investigate the potential of cyanuric acid in inducing novel nucleic acid assemblies.
- To expand the structural space and functionality of nucleic acids through self-assembly.
Main Methods:
- Utilized cyanuric acid, a small molecule with thymine-like faces.
- Studied the self-assembly of unmodified poly(adenine) (poly(A)) in the presence of cyanuric acid.
- Analyzed the resulting structures formed by poly(A) DNA, RNA, and peptide nucleic acid (PNA).
Main Results:
- Cyanuric acid reprogrammed poly(A) assembly into stable, long, and abundant fibers with a unique internal structure.
- These assemblies were observed in poly(A) DNA, RNA, and PNA.
- Evidence suggests adenine and cyanuric acid associate into hexameric rosettes, facilitating poly(A) triplex formation and cooperative polymerization.
Conclusions:
- Small hydrogen-bonding molecules, like cyanuric acid, can induce nucleic acid self-assembly in aqueous solutions.
- This approach enables the creation of new nucleic acid structures using inexpensive and readily available materials.
- The findings offer a novel strategy for designing functional nucleic acid-based materials.
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