Noncanonical Condensation of Nucleic Acid Chains by Hydrophobic Gold Nanocrystals.

ABSTRACT: Nucleic acid condensates are essential for various biological processes and have numerous applications in nucleic acid nanotechnology, gene therapy, and mRNA vaccines. However, unlike the in vivo condensation that is dependent on motor proteins, the in vitro condensation efficiency remains to be improved. Here, we proposed a hydrophobic interaction-driven mechanism for condensing long nucleic acid chains using atomically precise hydrophobic gold nanoclusters (Au NCs). We found that hydrophobic Au NCs could condense long single-stranded DNA or RNA to form composites of spherical nanostructures, which further assembled into bead-shaped suprastructures in the presence of excessive Au NCs. Thus, suprastructures displayed gel-like behaviors, and Au NCs could diffuse freely inside the condensate

SUBMITTER: Li Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10466341 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature