DNA as a Scaffold of Chemical/Enzymatic Reactions

Nucleic acids have emerged as a prominent class of biomolecules that offer unique possibilities due to their self-recognizing and self-organizing properties. The programmable nature of Watson-Crick base-pairing has been exploited for constructing a wide variety of nucleic acid architectures and some devices. In particular, the inherent molecular order of DNA structures and its polyanionic character have been exploited as a template for assembly of conjugated polymers and metal nanowires and as a scaffold for small molecule organic synthesis. We have successfully expanded the scope of use of DNA towards such applications by bringing together the templating and scaffolding roles in the synthesis of conjoined polymers. In this approach, nucleotides are covalently linked to monomers that are subsequently polymerized to create DNA-conjoined oligomers. Further, we have used DNA in preferentially directing enzymatic reactions towards either single-step transformations or oligomer formation from the same substrate. Our results demonstrate the versatile character of DNA above and beyond its normal biological roles.