Superhelical DNA liquid crystals from dendrimer-induced DNA compaction

Electrostatic compaction of double stranded DNA induced by a positively charged poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer of generation four (G4) was found to produce two unique types of DNA mesophases, in which the DNA bent into superhelices packed in a tetragonal or hexagonal lattice. The structure formed at a lower dendrimer charge density was three-dimensionally (3D) ordered, as characterized by the P4(1)2(1)2 space group with a 4(1) screw axis in a tetragonal arrangement, showing that the weakly bent DNA superhelices with a pitch length of ca. 5.0 nm possessed both identical handedness and phase conservation. The 3D ordered structure transformed into a 2D mesophase at a higher dendrimer charge density, wherein the strongly bent superhelices with a pitch length of ca. 4.0 nm organized in a hexagonal lattice without lateral coherence of helical trajectory. The counterion valency of the protonic acid that is used to charge the dendrimer was found to influence the phase diagram. Under a given dendrimer charge density, the complex with a multivalent acid-protonated dendrimer tended to form structures with less curved DNA, attesting that the driving force of charge matching was reduced by increasing the counterion valency of the dendrimer.

Automated summary

The study found that a positively charged PAMAM dendrimer could induce electrostatic compaction of double stranded DNA, resulting in unique DNA mesophases with different superhelix arrangements. The valency of the counterion used to charge the dendrimer was found to influence the curvature and organization of the formed structures.