title: Polymorphic Ring-Shaped Molecular Clusters Made of Shape-Variable Building Blocks.
abstract: Self-assembling molecular building blocks able to dynamically change their shapes, is a concept that would offer a route to reconfigurable systems. Although simulation studies predict novel properties useful for applications in diverse fields, such kinds of building blocks, have not been implemented thus far with molecules. Here, we report shape-variable building blocks fabricated by DNA self-assembly. Blocks are movable enough to undergo shape transitions along geometrical ranges. Blocks connect to each other and assemble into polymorphic ring-shaped clusters via the stacking of DNA blunt-ends. Reconfiguration of the polymorphic clusters is achieved by the surface diffusion on mica substrate in response to a monovalent salt concentration. This work could inspire novel reconfigurable self-assembling systems for applications in molecular robotics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering and Robotics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan. cervantes@molbot.mech.tohoku.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Keitel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cervantes-Salguero
authors.affiliation: Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. sh964@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering and Robotics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan. nomura@molbot.mech.tohoku.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Shin-Ichiro M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering and Robotics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan. murata@molbot.mech.tohoku.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murata
keywords: DNA nanostructure; DNA origami; DNA stacking; reconfiguration; substrate