ASAXS modeling and analysis using a solid cylinder model of Ag1-DNA complex The Ag1 ions can bind the base pairs or be free within the cylindrical regions. © 2024 Springer Nature Limited
Transforming organized DNA structures into their metallized counterparts refers to a process where a pre-designed, complex DNA structure is used as a template to precisely arrange metal nanoparticles or ions onto its surface, effectively creating a metallic replica of the original DNA shape, maintaining the intricate folding and organization of the DNA while replacing the biological components with metal atoms or clusters. The challenge of understanding this transformation is one that has long perplexed researchers.
A team of researchers attacked this problem by employing several experimental techniques, including UV-vis thermal spectroscopy; circular dichroism spectroscopy; ESI-MS (mass) spectrometry; nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; bench-top small-angle x-ray spectroscopy; and, primarily, anomalous small-angle x-ray scattering at the Anomalous Small and Wide Angle X-ray Scattering x-ray beamline at the NSF’s ChemMatCARS facility at the Argonne Advanced Photon Source.
They solved the solution structure of a DNA duplex that can be transformed into its metallized equivalent while retaining the natural base pairing arrangement through the creation of silver-modified Watson-Crick base pair. Departing from previous x-ray structures, these demonstrate the feasibility of preserving essential DNA self-assembly while incorporating silver (Ag1) into the double helix. This shows that binding silver does not disrupt the canonical base-pairing organization. Moreover, the uninterrupted Ag1 chain does not form conventional straight linear chains, but rather adheres to a helical arrangement dictated by the underlying DNA structure.
This research challenges several assumptions about DNA structures and promises the ability to achieve structures based on the organization of highly stable, strategically designed silver Ag-DNA assemblies.
Precisely engineered silver patterns at the nanoscale offering enhanced stability to programmed DNA-based nanostructures, leveraging canonical DNA assembly capabilities.
Author affiliations: 1Slovenian NMR Center, National Institute of Chemistry, 2Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, 3Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Universidad de Granada, 4Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, 5Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Granada, 6Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 7NSF’s ChemMatCARS, Pritzker School ofMolecular Engineering, University of Chicago
Contact: *may.nyman@oregonstate.edu; **janez.plavec@ki.si; ***magalindo@ugr.es
Financial support from Spanish MINECO (project PID2020-120186RBI00), Spanish MICIU (Salvador Madariaga Program, Ref. PRX19/00290), Junta de Andalucia (project P20_00702). We also thank the “Centro de Servicios de Informática y Redes de Comunicaciones” (CSIRC) (UGRGrid), Universidad de Granada, for providing computing time on the Alhambra supercomputer. U.J. and J.P. acknowledge the financial support of the Slovenian Research Agency (grants P1-0242 and J1-1704). O.P. acknowledges the financial support provided by the Spanish Ministerio deCiencia e Innovación (PID2022-138479NB-I00). O.P. is member of the “Grup de Recerca de la Generalitat de Catalunya” (Ref. 2021 SGR 00668). NSF’s ChemMatCARS, Sector 15 at the APS, ANL, is supported by the Divisions of Chemistry (CHE) and Materials Research (DMR), National Science Foundation, under grant number NSF/CHE-1834750.
For information on the Anomalous Small and Wide Angle X-ray Scattering (ASWAXS) program at NSF’s ChemMatCARS contact:
Mrinal Bera
(630) 252-0472
mrinalkb@uchicago.edu