[P1-55] Investigating the mechanical properties of azobenzene-tethered DNA for controlling self-assembling DNA nanostructures
Advances in structural DNA nanotechnology have enabled the construction of a nanostructure with various shapes using self-assembling characteristics of DNA strands. Recently, there is an increasingly higher demand for building a dynamic, morphing structure in response to environmental signals so that DNA nanostructures can be used as a functional structure as well.
Azobenzene is one of the representative molecules that change its conformation under the change of light source. It switches from the trans isomer to the cis isomer when absorbing ultraviolet lights, while it is reversibly isomerized under visible lights. Multiple azobenzene molecules can be combined with DNA by intercalated between base-pair steps through threonine linkers and non-planar cis-azobenzenes destabilize the stacking interaction of DNA bases unlike planar trans-azobenzenes. Hence, azobenzene-tethered DNA (AzoDNA) can serve as a structural motif that triggers the conformational change of DNA nanostructures with lights. Nevertheless, its mechanical properties and transition dynamics are rarely known. Here, we investigate the mechanical properties of AzoDNA at its trans and cis states by performing molecular dynamics simulation. To validate, we construct a DNA nanostructure whose bending angles are controlled by the rigidity of AzoDNA at the hinge part.
This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grants funded by the Korea government (Ministry of Science and ICT) (NRF-2016R1C1B2011098, NRF-2017M3D1A1039422, and NRF-2014M3A6B3063711).
Azobenzene is one of the representative molecules that change its conformation under the change of light source. It switches from the trans isomer to the cis isomer when absorbing ultraviolet lights, while it is reversibly isomerized under visible lights. Multiple azobenzene molecules can be combined with DNA by intercalated between base-pair steps through threonine linkers and non-planar cis-azobenzenes destabilize the stacking interaction of DNA bases unlike planar trans-azobenzenes. Hence, azobenzene-tethered DNA (AzoDNA) can serve as a structural motif that triggers the conformational change of DNA nanostructures with lights. Nevertheless, its mechanical properties and transition dynamics are rarely known. Here, we investigate the mechanical properties of AzoDNA at its trans and cis states by performing molecular dynamics simulation. To validate, we construct a DNA nanostructure whose bending angles are controlled by the rigidity of AzoDNA at the hinge part.
This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grants funded by the Korea government (Ministry of Science and ICT) (NRF-2016R1C1B2011098, NRF-2017M3D1A1039422, and NRF-2014M3A6B3063711).