DNA aptamers, previously identified through SELEX and found to have high G-nucleotide composition, were tested as templates for calcium carbonate mineralization. Calcium carbonate is instrumental to many aquatic species’ survival, and changes to the environment can interfere with mineralization which could be detrimental to the ocean ecosystem. Biomimetic templates, such as DNA aptamers, could shed light on the mineralization process or may serve as tools in biomineralization. In this work, aptamers were compared to additional sequences that were modified to express or lack a G-quadruplex secondary structure to explore the effect on calcium carbonate mineralization. Kinetics, morphology and crystallinity of calcium carbonate mineralization at pH 7.4 and pH 10.0 were explored. It was found that the aptamers affect homogeneous mineralization kinetics in a pH-dependent manner, however, they were found to promote spherical and rhombohedral morphology in a pH-independent manner while crystallinity remained constant. Based on these results, high G-composition aptamers could potentially be of use for environmental applications.

Effects of selected DNA aptamers on calcium carbonate mineralization

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.