title: Highly sensitive self-complementary DNA nanoswitches triggered by polyelectrolytes.
abstract: Dimerization of two homologous strands of genomic DNA/RNA is an essential feature of retroviral replication. Herein we show that a cationic comb-type copolymer (CCC), poly(L-lysine)-graft-dextran, accelerates the dimerization of self-complementary stem-loop DNA, frequently found in functional DNA/RNA molecules, such as aptamers. Furthermore, an anionic polymer poly(sodium vinylsulfonate) (PVS) dissociates CCC from the duplex shortly within a few seconds. Then single stem-loop DNA spontaneously transforms from its dimer. Thus we can easily control the dimer and stem-loop DNA by switching on/off CCC activity. Both polyelectrolytes and DNA concentrations are in the nanomole per liter range. The polyelectrolyte-assisted transconformation and sequences design strategy ensures the reversible state control with rapid response and effective switching under physiologically relevant conditions. A further application of this sensitive assembly is to construct an aptamer-type drug delivery system, bind or release functional molecules responding to its transconformation.
authors.affiliation: College of Materials and Chemistry Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China. dujie@hainu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jincai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: College of Materials and Chemistry Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China. dujie@hainu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: College of Materials and Chemistry Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China. dujie@hainu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Materials and Chemistry Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China. dujie@hainu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of Materials and Chemistry Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China. dujie@hainu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Du
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011145:Polyvinyls / Q000737:chemistry*; D013451:Sulfonic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011145:Polyvinyls; D013451:Sulfonic Acids; C008959:lyapolate; D004247:DNA