A novel type of microscopic size chip based on double-stranded nucleic acids.

Abstract

The double-stranded molecules of nucleic acids (NA) of B- and A-families fixed in the structure of cholesteric liquid-crystalline dispersions, formed as a result of phase exclusion of these molecules from polymer-containing solution, have been used as 'building blocks' for the molecular design. Using the formation of polymeric chelate bridges between NA molecules, three-dimensional structures consisting of alternating NA, anthracycline and copper ions, were created. The formation of the polymeric chelate bridges allows one to stabilize the initial spatial mode of ordering of neighboring NA molecules in a form of so-called 'molecular constructions', immobilize these constructions onto supporting film and evaluate their sizes and shape. The creation of NA molecular constructions is accompanied by an 'extra-increase' in the amplitude of the bands in the CD spectra, despite the initial sense of cholesteric twisting characteristic of liquid-crystalline dispersions. Destroying of polymeric chelate bridges between NA molecules by action of biologically relevant compounds results in disintegration of NA liquid-crystalline molecular constructions. Three-dimensional NA molecular construction can be used as a microscopic size multifunctional chemical unit (chip) for biological or chemical needs.