TY - JOUR
T1 - New motifs in DNA nanotechnology
AU - Seeman, Nadrian C.
AU - Wang, Hui
AU - Yang, Xiaoping
AU - Liu, Furong
AU - Mao, Chengde
AU - Sun, Weiqiong
AU - Wenzler, Lisa
AU - Shen, Zhiyong
AU - Sha, Ruojie
AU - Yan, Hao
AU - Wong, Man Hoi
AU - Sa-Ardyen, Phiset
AU - Liu, Bing
AU - Qiu, Hangxia
AU - Li, Xiaojun
AU - Qi, Jing
AU - Du, Shou Ming
AU - Zhang, Yuwen
AU - Mueller, John E.
AU - Fu, Tsu Ju
AU - Wang, Yinli
AU - Chen, Junghuei
PY - 1998/9
Y1 - 1998/9
N2 - Recently, we have invested a great deal of effort to construct molecular building blocks from unusual DNA motifs. DNA is an extremely favorable construction medium. The sticky-ended association of DNA molecules occurs with high specificity, and it results in the formation of B-DNA, whose structure is well known. The use of stable-branched DNA molecules permits one to make stick-figures. We have used this strategy to construct a covalently closed DNA molecule whose helix axes have the connectivity of a cube, and a second molecule, whose helix axes have the connectivity of a truncated octahedron. In addition to branching topology, DNA also yields control of linking topology, because double helical half-turns of B-DNA or Z-DNA can be equated, respectively, with negative or positive crossings in topological objects. Consequently, we have been able to use DNA to make trefoil knots of both signs and figure of 8 knots. By making RNA knots, we have discovered the existence of an RNA topoisomerase. DNA-based topological control has also led to the construction of Borromean rings, which could be used in DNA-based computing applications. The key feature previously lacking in DNA construction has been a rigid molecule. We have discovered that DNA double crossover molecules can provide this capability. We have incorporated these components in DNA assemblies that use this rigidity to achieve control on the geometrical level, as well as on the topological level. Some of these involve double crossover molecules, and others involve double crossovers associated with geometrical figures, such as triangles and deltahedra.
AB - Recently, we have invested a great deal of effort to construct molecular building blocks from unusual DNA motifs. DNA is an extremely favorable construction medium. The sticky-ended association of DNA molecules occurs with high specificity, and it results in the formation of B-DNA, whose structure is well known. The use of stable-branched DNA molecules permits one to make stick-figures. We have used this strategy to construct a covalently closed DNA molecule whose helix axes have the connectivity of a cube, and a second molecule, whose helix axes have the connectivity of a truncated octahedron. In addition to branching topology, DNA also yields control of linking topology, because double helical half-turns of B-DNA or Z-DNA can be equated, respectively, with negative or positive crossings in topological objects. Consequently, we have been able to use DNA to make trefoil knots of both signs and figure of 8 knots. By making RNA knots, we have discovered the existence of an RNA topoisomerase. DNA-based topological control has also led to the construction of Borromean rings, which could be used in DNA-based computing applications. The key feature previously lacking in DNA construction has been a rigid molecule. We have discovered that DNA double crossover molecules can provide this capability. We have incorporated these components in DNA assemblies that use this rigidity to achieve control on the geometrical level, as well as on the topological level. Some of these involve double crossover molecules, and others involve double crossovers associated with geometrical figures, such as triangles and deltahedra.
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U2 - 10.1088/0957-4484/9/3/018
DO - 10.1088/0957-4484/9/3/018
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0032157849
SN - 0957-4484
VL - 9
SP - 257
EP - 273
JO - Nanotechnology
JF - Nanotechnology
IS - 3
ER -