Active DNA Olympic Hydrogels Driven by Topoisomerase Activity

Biological systems are equipped with a diverse repertoire of proteins that regulate DNA topology with precision that is beyond the reach of conventional polymer chemistry. Here, we harness the unique properties of topoisomerases to synthesize Olympic hydrogels formed by topologically interlinked DNA...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2018-10, Vol.121 (14), p.148001-148001, Article 148001
Main Authors: Krajina, Brad A, Zhu, Audrey, Heilshorn, Sarah C, Spakowitz, Andrew J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adenosine triphosphate
Biological activity
Chemical synthesis
Chromosomes
Constraint modelling
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
Hydrogels
Organic chemistry
Photon correlation spectroscopy
Polymer chemistry
Proteins
Rings (mathematics)
Switching theory
Topology
Viscoelasticity
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Summary:Biological systems are equipped with a diverse repertoire of proteins that regulate DNA topology with precision that is beyond the reach of conventional polymer chemistry. Here, we harness the unique properties of topoisomerases to synthesize Olympic hydrogels formed by topologically interlinked DNA rings. Using dynamic light scattering microrheology to probe the viscoelasticity of DNA topological networks, we show that topoisomerase II enables the facile preparation of active, adenosine triphosphate-driven Olympic hydrogels that can be switched between liquid and solid states on demand. Our results provide a versatile system for engineering switchable topological materials that may be broadly leveraged to model the impact of topological constraints and active dynamics in the physics of chromosomes and other polymeric materials.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.121.148001