Complex DNA Nanostructures from Oligonucleotide Ensembles

The first synthetic DNA nanostructures were created by self-assembly of a small number of oligonucleotides. Introduction of the DNA origami method provided a new paradigm for designing and creating two- and three-dimensional DNA nanostructures by folding a large single-stranded DNA and 'stapling' it together with a library of oligonucleotides. Despite its power and wide-ranging implementation, the DNA origami technique suffers from some limitations. Foremost among these is the limited number of useful single-stranded scaffolds of biological origin. This report describes a new approach to creating large DNA nanostructures exclusively from synthetic oligonucleotides. The essence of this approach is to replace the single-stranded scaffold in DNA origami with a library of oligonucleotides termed scaples (scaffold staples). Scaples eliminate the need for scaffolds of biological origin and create new opportunities for producing larger and more diverse DNA nanostructures as well as simultaneous assembly of distinct structures in a single-pot reaction.