Self-assembly of genetically encoded DNA-protein hybrid nanoscale shapes

Abstract

Protein-folded DNA nanostructures A wide variety of DNA nanostructures have been assembled by folding long DNA single strands with short DNA staples. However, such structures typically need annealing at elevated temperatures in order to form. To accommodate the formation of such structures in living cells, Praetorius and Dietz developed an approach in which custom protein staples based on transcription activator–like effector proteins fold double-stranded DNA templates (see the Perspective by Douglas). The structures folded into user-defined geometric shapes on the scale of tens to hundreds of nanometers. These nanostructures could self-assemble at room temperature in physiological buffers. Science , this issue p. eaam5488 ; see also p. 1261