DNA T-shaped crossover tiles for 2D tessellation and nanoring reconfiguration

Nat Commun. 2023 Nov 23;14(1):7675. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-43558-8.

Abstract

DNA tiles serve as the fundamental building blocks for DNA self-assembled nanostructures such as DNA arrays, origami, and designer crystals. Introducing additional binding arms to DNA crossover tiles holds the promise of unlocking diverse nano-assemblies and potential applications. Here, we present one-, two-, and three-layer T-shaped crossover tiles, by integrating T junction with antiparallel crossover tiles. These tiles carry over the orthogonal binding directions from T junction and retain the rigidity from antiparallel crossover tiles, enabling the assembly of various 2D tessellations. To demonstrate the versatility of the design rules, we create 2-state reconfigurable nanorings from both single-stranded tiles and single-unit assemblies. Moreover, four sets of 4-state reconfiguration systems are constructed, showing effective transformations between ladders and/or rings with pore sizes spanning ~20 nm to ~168 nm. These DNA tiles enrich the design tools in nucleic acid nanotechnology, offering exciting opportunities for the creation of artificial dynamic DNA nanopores.

MeSH terms

  • DNA / chemistry
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force
  • Nanopores*
  • Nanostructures* / chemistry
  • Nanotechnology
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation

Substances

  • DNA