Mou, Y. et al. Nature 525, 230–233 (2015).

Self-assembled DNA nanostructures are increasingly being used to solve problems across scientific disciplines. However, assemblies based on one type of building block are inherently limited in terms of the structural diversity possible and the spatiotemporal control over self-assembly. Mou et al. now report a computational design method to create protein-DNA coassembling nanostructures, driven by noncovalent interactions between protein and DNA. As proof of principle of their approach, they engineered a homodimerization interface into the Drosophila engrailed homeodomain, which enables it to bind to two dsDNA molecules. They show that protein-binding sites on dsDNA molecules can be varied to enable the self-assembly of a nanowire structure, which they confirmed with fluorescence microscopy, crystallography and atomic force microscopy. This noncovalent self-assembly approach shows promise for expanding the toolbox of nanobiotechnology.