Target-Responsive DNA Hydrogels with Encapsulation and Release Properties Using Programmable CRISPR-Cas12a.

ABSTRACT: We report the development of a DNA hydrogel that disassembles and releases its payload in response to a target of interest. The DNA hydrogel is assembled from Y-shaped DNA motifs with polyA domains and cross-linked via the small molecule cyanuric acid through hydrogen bonding. The hydrogel's structural integrity was rapidly assessed using a simple, instrumentation-free capillary migration assay that provides results within seconds. To evaluate its responsiveness to enzymatic degradation, the hydrogel was exposed to nonspecific nuclease activity using DNase I, resulting in increased mobility and decrease in fluorescence. Later, CRISPR-Cas12a was incorporated to enable programmable, target-specific hydrogel disassembly using a conserved genomic region from Salmonella typhimu

SUBMITTER: Tharu RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12281480 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature