title: A reversible pH-driven DNA nanoswitch array.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge, 11 J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FF, U.K. liuds@nanoctr.cn
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bruckbauer
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abell
authors.forename: Shankar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balasubramanian
authors.forename: Dae-Joon
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Klenerman
authors.forename: Dejian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; D004247:DNA