Heterogenous Aggregation and Assemblies via Thermal Modulation of DNA and Elastin-Like Polypeptide Nanosystems

DNA nanotechnology offers a sophisticated bottom-up approach to nanofabrication, overcoming the inherent limitations of conventional top-down methods. Due to its predictable chemical reactivity and structural regularity, DNA enables the engineering of a wide variety of nano-objects through sequence-dependent oligonucleotide binding. The functional integration of DNA with nanoparticles in diverse physicochemical forms has led to the creation of numerous composite nanomaterials that frequently exhibit novel or enhanced capabilities as a result of the synergistic interplay between the components.<br/>A notable example of such nanomaterials is the biopolymer elastin-like polypeptide (ELP). Owing to its surface cysteine residues and solid-binding peptides (SBPs), the ELP protein (VPGVG)96-C can be employed in strategies to bind or mineralize nanomaterials, with its efficacy further enhanced through conjugation with various nanomaterials such as nanoparticles and nano-assembled structures. As a thermally responsive protein, ELP can bind to nano-objects and DNA nanostructures, facilitating the formation of higher-dimensional nanosystems that leverage temperature stimuli to initiate assembly formation.<br/>This study investigates the morphologies of ELP-DNA conjugates, the interactions within AuNP particle hybrid shells, and the multidimensional assemblies mediated by DNA-ELP hybrid linker systems. This system exploits the intrinsic and distinct thermal behaviors of DNA and ELP across different temperature regimes, considering factors such as DNA/ELP sequence, ionic environment, and linker ratios. Our aim is to elucidate the behaviors and the mechanisms of temperature-mediated assembly within DNA-ELP complexes and their associated systems, thereby providing valuable insights for the development of future dynamic and functional nanotechnological applications.