Construction of Functional Biomaterials by Biomolecular Self-Assembly

TLDR

Functional biomaterials can be constructed by designing biomolecular self‑assembly strategies. The authors develop diverse self‑assembly approaches—including glycoclusters, carbohydrate‑modified DNA/lectin complexes, DNA three‑way junctions, trigonal peptide conjugates, and β‑annulus peptides—to create nanostructures such as spheres and artificial viral capsids.

Abstract

Abstract This account discusses construction strategies for various functional biomaterials based on the designed self-assembly of biomolecules. Novel glycoclusters with regular intervals were developed by self-assembly of carbohydrate-conjugated oligodeoxyribonucleotides (ODNs) with the half-sliding complementary ODNs. Complexes of carbohydrate-modified DNA and lectin afforded a new regulation system for gene expression. DNA three-way junctions bearing self-complementary sticky-ends were self-assembled into nanometer-to-micrometer-sized spherical structures depending on the concentration. The three-way component design was extended to the design of an artificial trigonal peptide conjugate. The trigonal peptide conjugates bearing β-sheet-forming peptides or glutathione self-assembled into nano-sized spherical assemblies. Self-assembly of β-annulus peptide derived from tomato bushy stunt virus afforded artificial viral capsids, which can encapsulate and be modified with various molecules.