Cation-Responsive and Photocleavable Hydrogels from Noncanonical Amphiphilic DNA Nanostructures.

ABSTRACT: Thanks to its biocompatibility, versatility, and programmable interactions, DNA has been proposed as a building block for functional, stimuli-responsive frameworks with applications in biosensing, tissue engineering, and drug delivery. Of particular importance for in vivo applications is the possibility of making such nanomaterials responsive to physiological stimuli. Here, we demonstrate how combining noncanonical DNA G-quadruplex (G4) structures with amphiphilic DNA constructs yields nanostructures, which we termed "Quad-Stars", capable of assembling into responsive hydrogel particles via a straightforward, enzyme-free, one-pot reaction. The embedded G4 structures allow one to trigger and control the assembly/disassembly in a reversible fashion by adding or removing K⁺ ions. F

SUBMITTER: Fabrini G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8796241 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature