DNA Origami: Folded DNA‐Nanodevices That Can Direct and Interpret Cell Behavior

Abstract

DNA origami is a DNA-based nanotechnology that utilizes programmed combinations of short complementary oligonucleotides to fold a large single strand of DNA into precise 2-D and 3-D shapes. The exquisite nanoscale shape control of this inherently biocompatible material is combined with the potential to spatially address the origami structures with diverse cargos including drugs, antibodies, nucleic acid sequences, small molecules and inorganic particles. This programmable flexibility enables the fabrication of precise nanoscale devices that have already shown great potential for biomedical applications such as: drug delivery, biosensing and synthetic nanopore formation. In this Progress Report, we will review the advances in the DNA origami field since its inception several years ago and then focus on how these DNA-nanodevices can be designed to interact with cells to direct or probe their behavior.

Engineering Cell Surface Function with DNA Origami

“…Structural DNA nanotechnology [8] , specifically the molecular self-assembly process known as DNA origami [9] , has emerged as a versatile approach to fabricate nanodevices with complex nanoscale geometry, defined placement of molecular functionalities, and programmed mechanical and dynamic properties. DNA origami devices have wide-ranging applications including drug delivery [10–12] , sensing [13, 14] , molecular manipulation [15] , and measurement [16, 17] .…”

Programming Motions of DNA Origami Nanomachines

“…We focus on the systems with DNA origami as the platform for manipulation and direct observation of DNA machine. For DNA machines employing DNA origami as the modular components, and fabrication and application of DNA dynamic nanosystems, readers are referred to recent reviews …”

Reversible control of cell membrane receptor function using DNA nano-spring multivalent ligands

“…26–29 For instance, an artificial DNA nano-spring powered by protons has been constructed by assembling multiple oligonucleotides and used for controlling the distance between gold nanoparticles. 30,31 However, the driving force of the developed DNA nano-spring is protons, which severely hindered its application for cell culture where a neutral pH is needed. On the other hand, the utilization of DNA nanostructures for controlling cellular functions has also been demonstrated.…”