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Article

Structural Recognition of Triple-Stranded DNA by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

by
Luca Guerrini
1,* and
Ramon A. Alvarez-Puebla
1,2,*
1
Department of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry—EMaS, Universitat Rovira I Virgili, Carrer de Marcel∙lí Domingo s/n, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
2
ICREA, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(2), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11020326
Submission received: 24 December 2020 / Revised: 20 January 2021 / Accepted: 21 January 2021 / Published: 27 January 2021

Abstract

Direct, label-free analysis of nucleic acids via surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has been continuously expanding its range of applications as an intriguing and powerful analytical tool for the structural characterization of diverse DNA structures. Still, interrogation of nucleic acid tertiary structures beyond the canonical double helix often remains challenging. In this work, we report for the first time the structural identification of DNA triplex structures. This class of nucleic acids has been attracting great interest because of their intriguing biological functions and pharmacological potential in gene therapy, and the ability for precisely engineering DNA-based functional nanomaterials. Herein, structural discrimination of the triplex structure against its duplex and tertiary strand counterparts is univocally revealed by recognizing key markers bands in the intrinsic SERS fingerprint. These vibrational features are informative of the base stacking, Hoogsteen hydrogen bonding and sugar–phosphate backbone reorganization associated with the triple helix formation. This work expands the applicability of direct SERS to nucleic acids analysis, with potential impact on fields such as sensing, biology and drug design.
Keywords: surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy; DNA; triplex; plasmonic nanoparticles surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy; DNA; triplex; plasmonic nanoparticles
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MDPI and ACS Style

Guerrini, L.; Alvarez-Puebla, R.A. Structural Recognition of Triple-Stranded DNA by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 326. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11020326

AMA Style

Guerrini L, Alvarez-Puebla RA. Structural Recognition of Triple-Stranded DNA by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy. Nanomaterials. 2021; 11(2):326. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11020326

Chicago/Turabian Style

Guerrini, Luca, and Ramon A. Alvarez-Puebla. 2021. "Structural Recognition of Triple-Stranded DNA by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy" Nanomaterials 11, no. 2: 326. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11020326

APA Style

Guerrini, L., & Alvarez-Puebla, R. A. (2021). Structural Recognition of Triple-Stranded DNA by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy. Nanomaterials, 11(2), 326. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11020326

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