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Updated: Jan 1, 2026

Self-assembly of Complex Two-dimensional Shapes from Single-stranded DNA Tiles
Published on: May 8, 2015
ATP-Triggered, Allosteric Self-Assembly of DNA Nanostructures
Qian Li1,2, Longfei Liu2, Dake Mao2
1College of Life Sciences , Northwest University , Xi'an , Shaanxi 710069 , China.
Abstract:
Responsive self-assembly is a general process in biological systems and is highly desired in engineered systems. DNA nanostructures provide a versatile molecular platform for studying such responsive self-assembly. Various triggers have been explored for DNA nanostructures. However, each trigger requires a unique mechanism for its response. This situation brings a great challenge to engineer the responsiveness. Herein, we propose an aptamer-based, allosteric mechanism for responsive DNA self-assembly. The aptamer-ligand binding causes the DNA motif to change its conformation and thus influences the motif assembly. With a model of an ATP aptamer, we have demonstrated the responsive assembly. Such responsive behavior, we believe, will be an important element for molecular machines, bioimaging/biosensing, and drug delivery.
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