The competing effects of core rigidity and linker flexibility in the nanoassembly of trivalent small molecule-DNA hybrids (SMDH₃s)-a synergistic experimental-modeling study.

ABSTRACT: The nanoassembly behavior of trivalent small molecule-DNA hybrids (SMDH₃s) was investigated as a function of core geometry and supramolecular flexibility through a synergistic experimental-modeling study. While complementary SMDH₃s possessing a highly flexible tetrahedral trivalent core primarily assemble into nanoscale caged dimers, the nanoassemblies of SMDH₃ comonomers with rigid pyramidal and trigonal cores yield fewer caged dimers and more large-oligomer networks. Specifically, the rigid pyramidal SMDH₃ comonomers tend to form smaller nanosized aggregates (dimers, tetramers, and hexamers) upon assembly, attributable to the small (<109°) branch-core-branch angle of the pyramidal core. In contrast, the more-rigid trigonal planar SMDH₃

SUBMITTER: Cho VY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5804500 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature