title: A supra-photoswitch involving sandwiched DNA base pairs and azobenzenes for light-driven nanostructures and nanodevices.
abstract: A supra-photoswitch is designed for complete ON/OFF switching of DNA hybridization by light irradiation for the purpose of using DNA as a material for building nanostructures. Azobenzenes, attached to D-threoninols that function as scaffolds, are introduced into each DNA strand after every two natural nucleotides (in the form (NNX)n where N and X represent the natural nucleotide and the azobenzene moiety, respectively). Hybridization of these two modified strands forms a supra-photoswitch consisting of alternating natural base pairs and azobenzene moieties. In this newly designed sequence, each base pair is sandwiched between two azobenzene moieties and all the azobenzene moieties are separated by base pairs. When the duplex is irradiated by visible light, the azobenzene moieties take the trans form and this duplex is surprisingly stable compared to the corresponding native duplex composed of only natural oligonucleotides. On the other hand, when the azobenzene moieties are isomerized to the cis form by UV light irradiation, the duplex is completely dissociated. Based on this design, a DNA hairpin structure is synthesized that should be closed by visible light irradiation and opened by UV light irradiation at the level of a single molecule. Indeed, perfect ON/OFF photoregulation is attained. This is a promising strategy for the design of supra-photoswitches such as photoresponsive sticky ends on DNA nanodevices and other nanostructures.
authors: Department of Molecular Design and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan.
authors: Xingguo
authors: X
authors: Liang
authors: Toshio
authors: T
authors: Mochizuki
authors: Hiroyuki
authors: H
authors: Asanuma
mesh_terms: D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D020029:Base Pairing / Q000528:radiation effects*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D008027:Light; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation / Q000528:radiation effects; D044366:Transition Temperature / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D001391:Azo Compounds; D004247:DNA; C009850:azobenzene