Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: Controlled transport of biomolecules across lipid bilayer membranes is of profound significance in biological processes. In cells, cargo exchange is mediated by dedicated channels that respond to triggers, undergo a nanomechanical change to reversibly open, and thus regulate cargo flux. Replicating these processes with simple yet programmable chemical means is of fundamental scientific interest. Artificial systems that go beyond nature’s remit in transport control and cargo are also of considerable interest for biotechnological applications but challenging to build. Here, we describe a synthetic channel that allows precisely timed, stimulus-controlled transport of folded and functional proteins across bilayer membranes. The channel is made via DNA nanotechnology design principles and features a 416 nm2opening cross-section and a nanomechanical lid which can be controllably closed and re-opened via a lock-and-key mechanism. We envision that the functional DNA device may be used in highly sensitive biosensing, drug delivery of proteins, and the creation of artificial cell networks.
Source: Nature Communications
Authors: Swarup Dey, Adam Dorey, Leeza Abraham, Yongzheng Xing, Irene Zhang, Fei Zhang, Stefan Howorka, Hao Yan
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $5,890
Awards: Hybrid Nanopores for Single-Molecule Sensing, Rapid, portable, and scalable Covid-19 antibody testing, Minimal DNA Nanopores for Electrical Sensing of Proteins, Bilateral NSF/BIO-BBSRC: Synthetic DNA Nanopores for Selective Transmembrane Transport, Bilateral NSF/BIO-BBSRC: Synthetic DNA Nanopores for Selective Transmembrane Transport
OpenAlex ID: W4225014830