Tuning the Inter-Layer Angle and Curvature of Double-Layered Tiles Hinged by Layered Crossovers for Construction of DNA Lattices and Tubes.

Abstract

DNA tile-based assembly has been proven as a versatile strategy to generate various nanostructures, including 1D nanotubes, 2D tessellations, 3D polyhedrons, bundles, and single crystals. In double-layered tiles, both tile curvature and inter-layer angle play an important role to regulate the geometric shape of assemblies and tuning the two intrinsic properties precisely still remains a challenge. In this work, a series of robust double-layered tiles are designed. Each tile consists of two cDAO (coupled DAO, where DAO means a Double-crossover motif composed of two Antiparallel duplexes of an Odd number of DNA half-turns long) motifs which are hinged through a pair of layered crossovers (LXs). Both tile curvature and inter-layer angle are tuned through programming the LX positions in the step length of one base. All individual tiles are confirmed with native PAGE (polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis), a series of rhombic 2D lattices with inter-layer acute angles tuned from 30.0° to 90.0° are achieved via surface-assisted assembly of blunt-ended tiles, and many kinds of DNA tubes with tube widths (the tube width equals half of the tube perimeter) changing from 36.0 and 175.0 nm are generated via solution assembly of sticky ended tiles.