Programming Dynamic Assembly of Viral Proteins with DNA Origami.

Biomolecular assembly in biological systems is typically a complex dynamic process regulated by the exchange of molecular information between biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. Here, we demonstrate a nucleic-acid-based system that can program the dynamic assembly process of viral proteins. Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) genome-mimicking RNA is anchored on DNA origami nanostructures via hybridization with a series of DNA strands which also function as locks that prevent the packaging of RNA by the TMV proteins. The selective, sequential releasing of the RNA via toehold-mediated strand displacement allows us to program the availability of RNA and subsequently the TMV growth in situ. Furthermore, the programmable dynamic assembly of TMV on DNA templates also enables the production of new DNA-protein hybrid nanostructures, which are not attainable by using previous assembly methods.