RNA nanotechnology uses RNA structural motifs to build nanosized architectures
that assemble through selective base-pair interactions. Herein, we report the
crystal-structure-guided design of highly stable RNA nanotriangles that
self-assemble cooperatively from short oligonucleotides. The crystal structure
of an 81 nucleotide nanotriangle determined at 2.6 Å resolution reveals the
so-far smallest circularly closed nanoobject made entirely of double-stranded
RNA. The assembly of the nanotriangle architecture involved RNA corner motifs
that were derived from ligand-responsive RNA switches, which offer the
opportunity to control self-assembly and dissociation.
