Micrometer-sized network structure of novel DNA–lipid conjugates induced by heat stimulation

Abstract

We have developed a novel lipid-bearing DNA that forms hairpin modules, including a single RNA monomer; this can be used to create micrometer-sized structures from nanometer-sized building blocks during breakage at the RNA site. In the presence of divalent metal ions and heat stimulation, we observed transition of the self-assembly, which results in the formation of a three-dimensional network structure. To our knowledge, this is also the first report of heat-induced micrometer-sized molecular self-assembly of molecules that carry biological information.