Exploring cytoskeletal organization using DNA nanotechnology

The structure and organization of a eukaryotic cell are determined by its cytoskeleton, but the physical processes and constraints that govern that determination are not well understood. To explore these we have built a model system in which tiled DNA nanotubes play the role of cytoskeletal filaments (e.g., microtubules) and DNA nanostar condensate plays the role of an organizing center (e.g., centrosome). We report how varying the size of the nanostar condensate and the portion of the nanotube tiles (monomers) that partition into the condensates change the distribution of nanotubes in and around the condensate.