Reconfigurable DNA nano-tweezer
View Patent ↗A photocaged DNA nano-tweezer and methods of using said photocaged DNA nano-tweezer are described. In particular, provided herein is a DNA nano-tweezer comprising a hairpin with a single-stranded loop that comprises a first arm and a second arm; and a trigger strand complementary to the single-stranded loop and comprising at least one photocaged residue with a protecting group.
1. A DNA nano-tweezer comprising:
a DNA hairpin with a single-stranded loop, a first arm, and a second arm,
wherein the distance between the first arm and the second arm is between about 3 nm and about 18 nm; and
a DNA trigger strand complementary to the single-stranded loop and comprising at least one photocaged residue with a protecting group.
2. The DNA nano-tweezer of claim 1 , wherein the single-stranded loop is a poly-A loop the trigger strand is a poly-T strand.
3. The DNA nano-tweezer of claim 1 , wherein the single-stranded loop is a poly-C loop and the trigger strand is a poly-G loop.
4. The DNA nano-tweezer of claim 1 , wherein the single-stranded loop and the trigger strand are selected from the group consisting of a poly-A loop, a poly-T loop, a poly-G loop, and a poly-C loop.
5. The DNA nano-tweezer of claim 1 , wherein the protecting group is a 6-nitropiperonyloxymethyl protecting group.
6. The DNA nano-tweezer of claim 1 , wherein the DNA nano-tweezer additionally comprises a locking strand.
7. The DNA nano-tweezer of claim 1 , wherein the locking strand comprises an o-nitrobenzyl ester photocleavable backbone.
8. The DNA nano-tweezer of claim 1 additionally comprising at least one fluorescent label.
9. The DNA nano-tweezer of claim 1 additionally comprising a ligand.
10. The DNA nano-tweezer of claim 1 , wherein the distance between the first arm and the second arm is between about 4 nm and about 16 nm.
11. A method of inducing a conformational change in nanostructured DNA, the method comprising the step of
exposing the DNA nano-tweezer of claim 1 to a pulse of light, whereby the DNA nano-tweezer undergoes a conformational change from a closed conformation to an open conformation.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the protecting group is a 6-nitropiperonyloxymethyl protecting group and the light is UV light.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the light has a wavelength between about 300 nm and about 400 nm.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pulse of light is between about 1 second and about 10 seconds.