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. 1999 Aug 1;27(15):3035–3041. doi: 10.1093/nar/27.15.3035

Oligonucleotide dendrimers: stable nano-structures.

M S Shchepinov 1, K U Mir 1, J K Elder 1, M D Frank-Kamenetskii 1, E M Southern 1
PMCID: PMC148527  PMID: 10454597

Abstract

DNA dendrimers with two, three, six, nine or 27 arms were reassociated as complementary pairs in solution or with an array of complementary oligonucleotides on a solid support. In all cases, duplex stabilities were greater than those of unbranched molecules of equal length. A theoretical treatment for the process of dissociation of dendrimers explains the major properties of the complexes. The favourable features of DNA dendrimers-their enhanced stability and the simple predictability of their association behaviour-makes them promising as building blocks for the 'bottom up' approach to nano-assembly. These features also suggest applications in oligonucleotide array/DNA chip technology when higher hybridisation temperatures are required, for example, to melt secon-dary structure in the target.

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Selected References

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