A reversible pH-driven DNA nanoswitch array.
An array of surface-immobilized proton-fueled DNA nanomachines is reversibly actuated by cycling of the solution pH between 4.5 and 9, producing a conformational change between a four-stranded and a double-stranded structure, which elongates or shortens the separation distance between the 5' and 3' end of the DNA. By labeling the DNA 3' end with a fluorophore and immobilizing it onto a thin-gold surface through its 5' thiol modification, the nanoscale motion of the DNA produces mechanical work to lift up and bring down the fluorophore from the gold surface by at least 2.5 nm and transduces this motion into an optical "on-and-off" nanoswitch.
Liu
Dongsheng
D
Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FF, U.K. liuds@nanoctr.cn
Bruckbauer
Andreas
A
Abell
Chris
C
Balasubramanian
Shankar
S
Kang
Dae-Joon
DJ
Klenerman
David
D
Zhou
Dejian
D
D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008958:Models, Molecular; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D004247:DNA