Self‐assembly and applications of nucleic acid solid‐state films

Gajria, Surekha; Neumann, Thorsten; Tirrell, Matthew

doi:10.1002/wnan.148

Cited by 18 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 140 publications

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“…Inspired by previous work dealing with polyelectrolyte-lipid complexes (2,(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31), for the preparation of nucleic acid TLCs, an oligonucleotide [22mer single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)] and the cationic surfactant dimethyldioctylammonium bromide (DOAB) were complexed in a simple procedure, including a final lyophilization step (SI Appendix, Section B). The solvent-free DNA-DOAB complex was birefringent (SI Appendix, Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermotropic liquid crystals from biomacromolecules

Li¹,

Chen

Marcozzi³

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Complexation of biomacromolecules (e.g., nucleic acids, proteins, or viruses) with surfactants containing flexible alkyl tails, followed by dehydration, is shown to be a simple generic method for the production of thermotropic liquid crystals. The anhydrous smectic phases that result exhibit biomacromolecular sublayers intercalated between aliphatic hydrocarbon sublayers at or near room temperature. Both this and low transition temperatures to other phases enable the study and application of thermotropic liquid crystal phase behavior without thermal degradation of the biomolecular components.L iquid crystals (LCs) play an important role in biology because their essential characteristic, the combination of order and mobility, is a basic requirement for self-organization and structure formation in living systems (1-3). Thus, it is not surprising that the study of LCs emerged as a scientific discipline in part from biology and from the study of myelin figures, lipids, and cell membranes (4). These and the LC phases formed from many other biomolecules, including nucleic acids (5, 6), proteins (7,8), and viruses (9, 10), are classified as lyotropic, the general term applied to LC structures formed in water and stabilized by the distinctly biological theme of amphiphilic partitioning of hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecular components into separate domains. However, the principal thrust and achievement of the study of LCs has been in the science and application of thermotropic materials, structures, and phases in which molecules that are only weakly amphiphilic exhibit LC ordering by virtue of their steric molecular shape, flexibility, and/or weak intermolecular interactions [e.g., van der Waals and dipolar forces (11)]. These characteristics enable thermotropic LCs (TLCs) to adopt a wide variety of exotic phases and to exhibit dramatic and useful responses to external forces, including, for example, the electro-optic effects that have led to LC displays and the portable computing revolution. This general distinction between lyotropic LCs and TLCs suggests there may be interesting possibilities in the development of biomolecular or bioinspired LC systems in which the importance of amphiphilicity is reduced and the LC phases obtained are more thermotropic in nature. Such biological TLC materials are very appealing for several reasons. Most biomacromolecules were extensively characterized in aqueous environments, but in TLC phases, their solvent-free properties and functions could be investigated in a state in which no or only traces of water are present. Water exhibits a high dielectric constant and has the ability to form hydrogen bonds, greatly influencing the structure and functions of biomacromolecules or compromising electronic properties such as charge transport (12-15). Indeed, anhydrous TLC systems containing glycolipids (16-19), ferritin (20), and polylysine have been reported (21-23). However, a general approach to fabricating TLCs based on nucleic acids, polypeptides, proteins, and protein assemblies of larg...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermotropic liquid crystals from biomacromolecules

Li¹,

Chen

Marcozzi³

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…The potential for designing intrinsically addressable and stimuli‐responsive functionalities marks DNA as a unique information‐encoding biopolymer compatible with technologies that bridge materials and life sciences 1–6. Although most investigations of DNA‐based functional materials are currently limited to aqueous solutions and hydrogels,1–14 research examining the solvent‐free and solid‐state properties of DNA is gaining momentum, owing to its relevance to biomaterials‐inspired drug and gene delivery as well as optoelectronic applications 15–18. Additionally, softening solid‐state DNA to realize its fluidity and ordering (in liquids and liquid crystals) in the absence of any solvent would be of much benefit to a variety of scientific and technological pursuits.…”

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confidence: 99%

Solvent‐free Liquid Crystals and Liquids from DNA

Liu

Shuai

Chen

et al. 2015

Chemistry A European J

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As DNA exhibits persistent structures with dimensions that exceed the range of their intermolecular forces, solid-state DNA undergoes thermal degradation at elevated temperatures. Therefore, the realization of solvent-free DNA fluids, including liquid crystals and liquids, still remains a significant challenge. To address this intriguing issue, we demonstrate that combining DNA with suitable cationic surfactants, followed by dehydration, can be a simple generic scheme for producing these solvent-free DNA fluid systems. In the anhydrous smectic liquid crystalline phase, DNA sublayers are intercalated between aliphatic hydrocarbon sublayers. The lengths of the DNA and surfactant are found to be extremely important in tuning the physical properties of the fluids. Stable liquid-crystalline and liquid phases are obtained in the -20 °C to 200 °C temperature range without thermal degradation of the DNA. Thus, a new type of DNA-based soft biomaterial has been achieved, which will promote the study and application of DNA in a much broader context.

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“…Copyright 2009 American Chemical Society) (c) Breath figure technique to prepare honeycomb structures with lipid–DNA films. (Reprinted with permission from Ref 10. Copyright 2011 John Wiley and Sons) (d) Temperature and conductivity dependence of a DNA–lipid film.…”

Section: Nucleic Acid–lipid and ‐Polymer Assemblymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Copyright 2011 John Wiley and Sons) (d) Temperature and conductivity dependence of a DNA–lipid film. (Reprinted with permission from Ref 10. Copyright 2011 John Wiley and Sons) (e) Layer‐by‐layer assembly mechanism of DNA films by consecutive adsorption of DNA and poly(allylamine).…”

Section: Nucleic Acid–lipid and ‐Polymer Assemblymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A variety of methods have been put forth to investigate the incorporation of nucleic acids into advanced materials. Herein, we divide the combined top‐down and bottom‐up organization of nucleic acid materials on surfaces into three main sections: (1) directed patterning of naked DNA on surfaces,9 (2) long‐range self‐assembly of DNA with lipids and polymers through microphase separation,10 and (3) DNA nanotechnology, or self‐assembly of highly ordered DNA materials based on sequence design and DNA functionalization 8. This review will focus on long‐range materials, rather than smaller discrete structures from DNA, which are reviewed elsewhere 2,3,8…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Long‐range assembly of DNA into nanofibers and highly ordered networks

Carneiro

Avakyan

Sleiman

2013

WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol

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Long-range assembly of DNA currently comprises both top-down and bottom-up methods. The top-down techniques consist of physical alignment of DNA and lithographic patterning to organize DNA on surfaces. The bottom-up approaches include lipid-and polymer-DNA co-assembly, the self-assembly of DNA amphiphiles, and the remarkably specific and versatile methods of DNA nanotechnology. DNA-based materials possess unprecedented molecular control and may offer innovative solutions in the fields of nanotechnology, sensing, nanomedicine, as well as optical and electronic devices. To realize the potential of these materials, a number of hurdles must be addressed. Bridging the gap between top-down fabrication and bottom-up assembly is of critical importance to the successful development of functional DNA-based technology. A profound understanding of both regimes is necessary to achieve this goal.

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Self‐assembly and applications of nucleic acid solid‐state films

Cited by 18 publications

References 140 publications

Thermotropic liquid crystals from biomacromolecules

Thermotropic liquid crystals from biomacromolecules

Solvent‐free Liquid Crystals and Liquids from DNA

Long‐range assembly of DNA into nanofibers and highly ordered networks

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