Single-Molecule Methods for Characterizing Different DNA Higher-Order Structures
Yonglin Liu,
Tianyuan Bian,
Yan Liu,
Zhimin Li,
Yufeng Pei,
Jie Song
Affiliations
Yonglin Liu
School of Molecular Medicine, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China; The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310022, China
Tianyuan Bian
The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310022, China; Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine (AMT), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Yan Liu
Institute of Nano Biomedicine and Engineering, Department of Instrument Science and Engineering, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Zhimin Li
School of Molecular Medicine, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China; The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310022, China
Yufeng Pei
The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310022, China; Corresponding authors.
Jie Song
The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310022, China; Institute of Nano Biomedicine and Engineering, Department of Instrument Science and Engineering, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Corresponding authors.
DNA is considered to be not only a carrier of the genetic information of life but also a highly programmable and self-assembled nanomaterial. Different DNA structures are related to their biological and chemical functions. Hence, understanding the physical and chemical properties of various DNA structures is of great importance in biology and nanochemistry. However, the bulk assay ignores the heterogeneity of DNA structures in solution. Single-molecule methods are powerful tools for observing the behavior of individual molecules and probing the high heterogeneity of free energy states. In this review, we introduce single-molecule methods, including single-molecule detection and manipulation methods, and discuss how these methods can be conducive to measuring the molecular properties of single-/double-stranded DNA (ss/dsDNA), DNA higher-order structures, and DNA nanostructures. We conclude by providing a new perspective on the combination of DNA nanotechnology and single-molecule methods to understand the biophysical properties of DNA and other bio-matter and soft matter.
