Direct mechanical measurements reveal the material properties of three-dimensional DNA origami

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

The application of three-dimensional DNA origami objects as rigid mechanical mediators or force sensing elements requires detailed knowledge about their complex mechanical properties. Using magnetic tweezers, we directly measure the bending and torsional rigidities of four- and six-helix bundles assembled by this technique. Compared to duplex DNA, we find the bending rigidities to be greatly increased while the torsional rigidities are only moderately augmented. We present a mechanical model explicitly including the crossovers between the individual helices in the origami structure that reproduces the experimentally observed behavior. Our results provide an important basis for the future application of 3D DNA origami in nanomechanics.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5558-5563
Number of pages6
JournalNano letters
Volume11
Issue number12
Publication statusPublished - 14 Dec 2011
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 83655192457
ORCID /0000-0001-5624-1717/work/142239029

Keywords

Keywords

  • Biomechanical Phenomena, DNA/chemistry, Microscopy, Atomic Force, Motion, Nanostructures/chemistry, Nucleic Acid Conformation

Library keywords