title: DNA minicircles connected via G-quadruplex interaction modules.
abstract: G-quadruplexes are becoming reliable alternative interaction modules for the construction of DNA nanoarchitectures due to their prompt inducibility by salts. In this Full Paper, we report the design and synthesis of two different DNA minicircles equipped with G-rich appendixes that can self-hybridize into a G-quadruplex, which acts as a DNA recruiter and glue. Both minicircles, one containing a hairpin-like G-rich region and the other an open tuning-fork-like G-rich region, have the potential to form DNA G-nanoconstructs but only the tuning-fork minicircle does so. Incubation of the tuning-fork minicircle with Na(+) and Ni(2+) results in the formation of minicircle dimers, while K(+) and Sr(2+) unexpectedly induce the formation of multimers. Moreover, a catenated DNA nanoconstruct is obtained when the components of the hairpin minicircle are incubated with K(+) or Na(+) and assembled in a stepwise sequence. All nanoconstructs are visualized by atomic force microscopy.
authors.affiliation: Goethe-University, Frankfurt Cluster of Excellence Macromolecular Complexes, Frankfurt Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Diana P N
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Thorsten L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Martin B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Koeppel
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heckel
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D054856:G-Quadruplexes; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D036103:Nanotechnology
chemical_list: D004247:DNA