DNA-Molecular-Motor-Controlled Dendron Association

In this letter, we described a new strategy to study the macromolecule interactions rationally controlled by the movements of a DNA molecular motor. Two amphiphilic dendrons are covalently attached to the 3' and 5' ends of a pH-driven DNA motor, a 21-mer single-stranded DNA containing four stretches of cytosine-rich sequences. The resulting DNA-dendron conjugates were purified by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), and their molecular weights were confirmed by MALDI-TOF. The reversible association-dissociation of the two DNA-attached dendrons controlled by the opening and closing of the DNA motor following pH changes was verified by circular dichroism spectroscopy and DNA stability studies in aqueous solutions. The results suggest that the DNA molecular motor may serve as a new platform for studying nonspecific and specific macromolecular interactions on the molecular level.