Using Guanine Rich Aptamer Strands to Increase Cellular Internalization of DNA Nanostructures

Abstract

DNA, while best known for its coding abilities, can also be used as a structural material to form nanostructures. DNA nanostructures can be designed with very specific chemistry and structure size and shape, and have the potential to become very effective delivery vehicles for biomolecules and therapeutic agents. Past research has shown that guanine rich DNA strands increase cellular internalization of nanoparticles, possibly due to the secondary G-quadruplex structures that they form in the presence of potassium. The purpose of this research is to study the use of guanine rich aptamer strands on cellular internalization of DNA nanostructures. DNA origami was used to create DNA nanostructures, and guanine rich aptamer strands were annealed to the structures. AFM was used to verify the formation of the structures, circular dichroism was used to verify the formation of the G-quadruplexes, and gel electrophoresis was used to verify the attachment of the aptamer strands to the DNA nanostructures. Flow cytometry was used to quantify cellular internalization of the DNA nanostructures in HPV cancer cell lines. The results of this research show that the use of guanine rich aptamer strands on DNA nanostructures increase cellular internalization of DNA nanostructures, further demonstrating the potential for DNA nanostructures to effectively be used as delivery vehicles for biomolecules and therapeutic agents.