6 research outputs found
Site-Specific Synthesis of Silica Nanostructures on DNA Origami Templates
DNA origami has been widely investigated as a template for the organization of various functional elements, leading to potential applications in many fields such as biosensing, nanoelectronics, and nanophotonics. However, the synthesis of inorganic nonmetallic nanomaterials with predesigned patterns using DNA origami templates has seldom been explored. Here, a novel method is reported to site-specifically synthesize silica nanostructures with designed patterns on DNA origami templates. The molecular dynamic simulation confirms that the positively charged silica precursors have a stronger electrostatic affinity to protruding double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) than DNA origami surfaces. The work describes a novel strategy to fabricate silica nanostructures with nanoscale precision. Moreover, the site-specific silicification of DNA nanoarchitectures expands the scope of customized synthesis of inorganic nonmetallic nanomaterials
Precise Organization of Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoclusters into Arbitrary Patterns on DNA Origami
The development of facile techniques for precisely patterning complex metal and metal oxide nanostructures is essential for catalytic nanosystems and optical and electronic nanodevices. Herein, we report a general strategy for designing and fabricating metal and metal oxide nanoclusters (MMONs) with arbitrarily prescribed patterns on DNA origami templates. The valuable feature of our approach lies in the site-specific arrangement of thiol groups on DNA origami, which act as reaction centers, initiating in situ MMONs growth. This strategy can be generalized to the patterning of arbitrary geometries and various inorganic materials, which will aid the generation of complex and precisely arranged components for customized functional nanoarchitectures
Genetically Encoded DNA Origami for Gene Therapy In Vivo
DNA origami has played an important
role in various biomedical
applications, including biosensing, bioimaging, and drug delivery.
However, the function of the long DNA scaffold involved in DNA origami
has yet to be fully exploited. Herein, we report a general strategy
for the construction of a genetically encoded DNA origami by employing
two complementary DNA strands of a functional gene as the DNA scaffold
for gene therapy. In our design, the complementary sense and antisense
strands can be directly folded into two DNA origami monomers by their
corresponding staple strands. After hybridization, the assembled genetically
encoded DNA origami with precisely organized lipids on the surface
can function as the template for lipid growth. The lipid-coated and
genetically encoded DNA origami can efficiently penetrate the cell
membrane for successful gene expression. After decoration with the
tumor-targeting group, the antitumor gene (p53) encoded DNA origami
can elicit a pronounced upregulation of the p53 protein in tumor cells
to achieve efficient tumor therapy. The targeting group-modified,
lipid-coated, and genetically encoded DNA origami has mimicked the
functions of cell surface ligands, cell membrane, and nucleus for
communication, protection, and gene expression, respectively. This
rationally developed combination of folding and coating strategies
for genetically encoded DNA origami presents a new avenue for the
development of gene therapy