Dynamic Expression of DNA Complexation with Self-assembled Biomolecular Clusters

Abstract

We report herein the implementation of a dynamic covalent chemistry approach to the generation of multivalent clusters for DNA recognition. We show that biomolecular clusters can be expressed in situ by a programmed self-assembly process using chemoselective ligations. The cationic clusters are shown, by fluorescence displacement assay, gel electrophoresis and isothermal titration calorimetry, to effectively complex DNA through multivalent interactions. The reversibility of the ligation was exploited to demonstrate that template effects occur, whereby DNA imposes component selection in order to favor the most active DNA-binding clusters. Furthermore, we show that a chemical effector can be used to trigger DNA release through component exchange reactions.

Keywords: DNA recognition; bioconjugates; dynamic covalent chemistry; multivalency; self-assembly.