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Brumett R, Danai L, Coffman A, Radwan Y, Teter M, Hayth H, Doe E, Pranger K, Thornburgh S, Dittmer A, Li Z, Kim TJ, Afonin KA, Khisamutdinov EF. Design and Characterization of Compact, Programmable, Multistranded Nonimmunostimulatory Nucleic Acid Nanoparticles Suitable for Biomedical Applications. Biochemistry 2024; 63:312-325. [PMID: 38271599 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
We report a thorough investigation of the role of single-stranded thymidine (ssT) linkers in the stability and flexibility of minimal, multistranded DNA nanostructures. We systematically explore the impact of varying the number of ssTs in three-way junction motifs (3WJs) on their formation and properties. Through various UV melting experiments and molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that while the number of ssTs minimally affects thermodynamic stability, the increasing ssT regions significantly enhance the structural flexibility of 3WJs. Utilizing this knowledge, we design triangular DNA nanoparticles with varying ssTs, all showing exceptional assembly efficiency except for the 0T triangle. All triangles demonstrate enhanced stability in blood serum and are nonimmunostimulatory and nontoxic in mammalian cell lines. The 4T 3WJ is chosen as the building block for constructing other polygons due to its enhanced flexibility and favorable physicochemical characteristics, making it a versatile choice for creating cost-effective, stable, and functional DNA nanostructures that can be stored in the dehydrated forms while retaining their structures. Our study provides valuable insights into the design and application of nucleic acid nanostructures, emphasizing the importance of understanding stability and flexibility in the realm of nucleic acid nanotechnology. Our findings suggest the intricate connection between these ssTs and the structural adaptability of DNA 3WJs, paving the way for more precise design and engineering of nucleic acid nanosystems suitable for broad biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Brumett
- Department of Chemistry, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306, United States
| | - Leyla Danai
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223, United States
| | - Abigail Coffman
- Department of Chemistry, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306, United States
| | - Yasmine Radwan
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223, United States
| | - Megan Teter
- Department of Chemistry, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306, United States
| | - Hannah Hayth
- Department of Chemistry, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306, United States
| | - Erwin Doe
- Department of Chemistry, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306, United States
| | - Katelynn Pranger
- Department of Chemistry, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306, United States
| | - Sable Thornburgh
- Department of Chemistry, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306, United States
| | - Allison Dittmer
- Department of Chemistry, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306, United States
| | - Zhihai Li
- Department of Chemistry, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306, United States
| | - Tae Jin Kim
- Department of Physical Sciences, West Virginia University Institute of Technology, Beckley, West Virginia 25801, United States
| | - Kirill A Afonin
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223, United States
| | - Emil F Khisamutdinov
- Department of Chemistry, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306, United States
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Hartung J, McCann N, Doe E, Hayth H, Benkato K, Johnson MB, Viard M, Afonin KA, Khisamutdinov EF. Toehold-Mediated Shape Transition of Nucleic Acid Nanoparticles. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:25300-25312. [PMID: 37204867 PMCID: PMC10331730 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c01604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
We introduce a toehold-mediated strand displacement strategy for regulated shape-switching of nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs) enabling their sequential transformation from triangular to hexagonal architectures at isothermal conditions. The successful shape transitions were confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift assays, atomic force microscopy, and dynamic light scattering. Furthermore, implementation of split fluorogenic aptamers allowed for monitoring the individual transitions in real time. Three distinct RNA aptamers─malachite green (MG), broccoli, and mango─were embedded within NANPs as reporter domains to confirm shape transitions. While MG "lights up" within the square, pentagonal, and hexagonal constructs, the broccoli is activated only upon formation of pentagon and hexagon NANPs, and mango reports only the presence of hexagons. Moreover, the designed RNA fluorogenic platform can be employed to construct a logic gate that performs an AND operation with three single-stranded RNA inputs by implementing a non-sequential polygon transformation approach. Importantly, the polygonal scaffolds displayed promising potential as drug delivery agents and biosensors. All polygons exhibited effective cellular internalization followed by specific gene silencing when decorated with fluorophores and RNAi inducers. This work offers a new perspective for the design of toehold-mediated shape-switching nanodevices to activate different light-up aptamers for the development of biosensors, logic gates, and therapeutic devices in the nucleic acid nanotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Hartung
- Department of Chemistry, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306, United States
| | - Nathan McCann
- Department of Chemistry, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306, United States
| | - Erwin Doe
- Department of Chemistry, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306, United States
| | - Hannah Hayth
- Department of Chemistry, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306, United States
| | - Kheiria Benkato
- Department of Chemistry, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306, United States
| | - M Brittany Johnson
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223, United States
| | - Mathias Viard
- Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc. National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Kirill A Afonin
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223, United States
| | - Emil F Khisamutdinov
- Department of Chemistry, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306, United States
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Teter M, Brumett R, Coffman A, Khisamutdinov EF. Thermodynamic Characterization of Nucleic Acid Nanoparticles Hybridization by UV Melting. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2709:151-161. [PMID: 37572278 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3417-2_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
The advances in nucleic acid nanotechnology have given rise to various elegantly designed structural complexes fabricated from DNA, RNA, chemically modified RNA strands, and their mixtures. The structural properties of NA nanoparticles (NANP) generally dictate and significantly impact biological function; and thus, it is critical to extract information regarding relative stabilities of the different structural forms. The adequate stability assessment requires knowledge of thermodynamic parameters that can be empirically derived using conventional UV-melting technique. The focus of this chapter is to describe methodology to evaluate thermodynamic data of NANPs complexation based on DNA 12 base-pair (bp) duplex formation as an example.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Teter
- Chemistry Department, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA
| | - Ross Brumett
- Chemistry Department, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA
| | - Abigail Coffman
- Chemistry Department, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA
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Ma J, Wang Y. Studies on Viroid Shed Light on the Role of RNA Three-Dimensional Structural Motifs in RNA Trafficking in Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:836267. [PMID: 35401640 PMCID: PMC8983868 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.836267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
RNAs play essential roles in various biological processes. Mounting evidence has demonstrated that RNA subcellular localization and intercellular/systemic trafficking govern their functions in coordinating plant growth at the organismal level. While numerous types of RNAs (i.e., mRNAs, small RNAs, rRNAs, tRNAs, and long noncoding RNAs) have been found to traffic in a non-cell-autonomous fashion within plants, the underlying regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Viroids are single-stranded circular noncoding RNAs, which entirely rely on their RNA motifs to exploit cellular machinery for organelle entry and exit, cell-to-cell movement through plasmodesmata, and systemic trafficking. Viroids represent an excellent model to dissect the role of RNA three-dimensional (3D) structural motifs in regulating RNA movement. Nearly two decades of studies have found multiple RNA 3D motifs responsible for viroid nuclear import as well as trafficking across diverse cellular boundaries in plants. These RNA 3D motifs function as "keys" to unlock cellular and subcellular barriers and guide RNA movement within a cell or between cells. Here, we summarize the key findings along this line of research with implications for future studies on RNA trafficking in plants.
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