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Programmed dissociation of dimer and trimer origami structures by aptamer-ligand complexes
1Institute of Chemistry, The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel. willnea@vms.huji.ac.il itamar.willner@mail.huji.ac.il.
Nanoscale
|January 14, 2017
Summary
Novel aptamer-bridged origami structures can be programmed to disassemble in the presence of specific ligands like ATP or cocaine. This controlled dissociation was confirmed using atomic force microscopy and gel electrophoresis techniques.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Nanotechnology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- DNA origami enables the construction of complex nanoscale structures.
- Aptamers are short DNA or RNA sequences that bind specific targets.
- Caged aptamers offer a method for controlling aptamer activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer novel DNA origami-based nanostructures.
- To incorporate caged, sequence-specific aptamers into these structures.
- To demonstrate ligand-induced programmed dissociation of the nanostructures.
Main Methods:
- Construction of dimer- and trimer-origami frames bridged by DNA duplexes.
- Integration of caged anti-ATP and/or anti-cocaine aptamer sequences.
- Utilizing atomic force microscopy (AFM) for structural imaging.
- Employing electrophoretic experiments to monitor dissociation.
Main Results:
- Successful assembly of origami frames with aptamer-containing bridges.
- Demonstration of programmed dissociation of dimers and trimers upon addition of ATP and/or cocaine.
- Confirmation of ligand-induced structural changes via AFM and electrophoresis.
Conclusions:
- Ligand-responsive DNA origami nanostructures can be reliably constructed.
- This approach allows for controlled release or structural changes triggered by specific molecules.
- Potential applications in molecular sensing, drug delivery, and nanoscale devices.
