Issue 7, 2023

Sequence-dependent fusion dynamics and physical properties of DNA droplets

Abstract

Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biopolymer molecules generates liquid-like droplets. Physical properties such as viscosity and surface tension play important roles in the functions of these droplets. DNA-nanostructure-based LLPS systems provide useful model tools to investigate the influence of molecular design on the physical properties of the droplets, which has so far remained unclear. Herein, we report changes in the physical properties of DNA droplets by sticky end (SE) design in DNA nanostructures. We used a Y-shaped DNA nanostructure (Y-motif) with three SEs as a model structure. Seven different SE designs were used. The experiments were performed at the phase transition temperature where the Y-motifs self-assembled into droplets. We found that the DNA droplets assembled from the Y-motifs with longer SEs exhibited a longer coalescence period. In addition, the Y-motifs with the same length but different sequence SEs showed slight variations in the coalescence period. Our results suggest that the SE length greatly affected the surface tension at the phase transition temperature. We believe that these findings will accelerate our understanding of the relationship between molecular design and the physical properties of droplets formed via LLPS.

Graphical abstract: Sequence-dependent fusion dynamics and physical properties of DNA droplets

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
31 1 2023
Accepted
12 2 2023
First published
14 2 2023
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Nanoscale Adv., 2023,5, 1919-1925

Sequence-dependent fusion dynamics and physical properties of DNA droplets

Y. Sato and M. Takinoue, Nanoscale Adv., 2023, 5, 1919 DOI: 10.1039/D3NA00073G

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