title: Synthesis of two mirror image 4-helix junctions derived from glycerol nucleic acid.
abstract: Structural DNA nanotechnology relies on Watson-Crick base pairing rules to assemble DNA motifs into diverse arrangements of geometric shapes and patterns. While substantial effort has been devoted to expanding the programmability of natural DNA, considerably less attention has been given to the development of nucleic acid structures based on non-natural DNA polymers. Here we describe the use of glycerol nucleic acid (GNA), a simple polymer based on an acyclic repeating unit, as an alternative genetic material for assembling nucleic acid nanostructures independent of RNA or DNA recognition. We synthesized two 4-helix junctions based entirely on GNA self-pairing and showed that GNA provides easy access to highly stable nanostructures with left- and right-handed helical configurations.
authors.affiliation: Center for BioOptical Nanotechnology, Biodesign Institute, and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1604, USA.
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Elizabeth O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: McCullum
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chaput
mesh_terms: D002942:Circular Dichroism; D004247:DNA / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D004586:Electrophoresis; D005990:Glycerol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D008958:Models, Molecular; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D009696:Nucleic Acids; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; C434331:phosphoramidite; D004247:DNA; D005990:Glycerol