title: M1.3--a small scaffold for DNA origami .
abstract: The DNA origami method produces programmable nanoscale objects that form when one long scaffold strand hybridizes to numerous oligonucleotide staple strands. One scaffold strand is dominating the field: M13mp18, a bacteriophage-derived vector 7249 nucleotides in length. The full-length M13 is typically folded by using over 200 staple oligonucleotides. Here we report the convenient preparation of a 704 nt fragment dubbed "M1.3" as a linear or cyclic scaffold and the assembly of small origami structures with just 15-24 staple strands. A typical M1.3 origami is large enough to be visualized by TEM, but small enough to show a cooperativity in its assembly and thermal denaturation that is reminiscent of oligonucleotide duplexes. Due to its medium size, M1.3 origami with globally modified staples is affordable. As a proof of principle, two origami structures with globally 5'-capped staples were prepared and were shown to give higher UV-melting points than the corresponding assembly with unmodified DNA. M1.3 has the size of a gene, not a genome, and may function as a model for gene-based nanostructures. Small origami with M1.3 as a scaffold may serve as a workbench for chemical, physical, and biological experiments.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Organic Chemistry, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 55, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Said
authors.forename: Verena J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Schüller
authors.forename: Fabian J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Eber
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wege
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liedl
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richert
mesh_terms: D017104:Bacteriophage M13 / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008422:Materials Testing; D054802:Molecular Imprinting / Q000379:methods*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral