Marked differences in volume phase transitions between gel and single molecule in DNA

DNA Hydrogels with Programmable Condensation, Expansion, and Degradation for Molecular Carriers

Molecular carriers are necessary for the controlled release of drugs and genes to achieve the desired therapeutic outcomes. DNA hydrogels can be a promising candidate in this application with their distinctive sequence-dependent programmability, which allows precise encapsulation of specific cargo molecules and stimuli-responsive release of them at the target. However, DNA hydrogels are inherently susceptible to the degradation of nucleases, making them vulnerable in a physiological environment. To be an effective molecular carrier, DNA hydrogels should be able to protect encapsulated cargo molecules until they reach the target and release them once they are reached. Here, we develop a simple way of controlling the enzyme resistance of DNA hydrogels for cargo protection and release by using cation-mediated condensation and expansion. We found that DNA hydrogels condensed by spermine are highly resistant to enzymatic degradation. They become degradable again if expanded back to their original, uncondensed state by sodium ions interfering with the interaction between spermine and DNA. These controllable condensation, expansion, and degradation of DNA hydrogels pave the way for the development of DNA hydrogels as an effective molecular carrier.

Structural change of DNA induced by nucleoid proteins: growth phase-specific Fis and stationary phase-specific Dps

The effects of nucleoid proteins Fis and Dps of Escherichia coli on the higher order structure of a giant DNA were studied, in which Fis and Dps are known to be expressed mainly in the exponential growth phase and stationary phase, respectively. Fis causes loose shrinking of the higher order structure of a genome-sized DNA, T4 DNA (166 kbp), in a cooperative manner, that is, the DNA conformational transition proceeds through the appearance of a bimodal size distribution or the coexistence of elongated coil and shrunken globular states. The effective volume of the loosely shrunken state induced by Fis is 30-60 times larger than that of the compact state induced by spermidine, suggesting that cellular enzymes can access for DNA with the shrunken state but cannot for the compact state. Interestingly, Dps tends to inhibit the Fis-induced shrinkage of DNA, but promotes DNA compaction in the presence of spermidine. These characteristic effects of nucleotide proteins on a giant DNA are discussed by adopting a simple theoretical model with a mean-field approximation.

Confinement causes opposite effects on the folding transition of a single polymer chain depending on its stiffness

We investigated the folding transition between an elongated coil state and a compact state on a single polymer chain confined in a small space with different stiffness with the aid of Monte Carlo simulation. In a flexible polymer, the folding transition is retarded in a confined space. In contrast, the transition is promoted for a semiflexible chain, in which the discontinuity of the volume change occupied by a single chain is diminished by confinement. This unique confinement effect is interpreted in terms of conformational entropy and self-avoiding repulsive interaction.

DNA-based soft phases

This chapter reviews the state-of-the-art in the study of molecular or colloidal systems whose mutual interactions are mediated by DNA molecules. In the last decade, the robust current knowledge of DNA interactions has enabled an impressive growth of self-assembled DNA-based structures that depend crucially on the properties of DNA-DNA interactions. In many cases, structures are built on design by exploiting the programmable selectivity of DNA interactions and the modularity of their strength. The study of DNA-based materials is definitely an emerging field in condensed matter physics, nanotechnology, and material science. This chapter will consider both systems that are entirely constructed by DNA and hybrid systems in which latex or metal colloidal particles are coated by DNA strands. We will confine our discussion to systems in which DNA-mediated interactions promote the formation of "phases," that is structures extending on length scales much larger than the building blocks. Their self-assembly typically involves a large number of interacting particles and often features hierarchical stages of structuring. Because of the possibility of fine-tuning the geometry and strength of the DNA-mediated interactions, these systems are characterized by a wide variety of patterns of self-assembly, ranging from amorphous, to liquid crystalline, to crystalline in one, two, or three dimensions.