title: DNA-Tile Structures Induce Ionic Currents through Lipid Membranes.
abstract: Self-assembled DNA nanostructures have been used to create man-made transmembrane channels in lipid bilayers. Here, we present a DNA-tile structure with a nominal subnanometer channel and cholesterol-tags for membrane anchoring. With an outer diameter of 5 nm and a molecular weight of 45 kDa, the dimensions of our synthetic nanostructure are comparable to biological ion channels. Because of its simple design, the structure self-assembles within a minute, making its creation scalable for applications in biology. Ionic current recordings demonstrate that the tile structures enable ion conduction through lipid bilayers and show gating and voltage-switching behavior. By demonstrating the design of DNA-based membrane channels with openings much smaller than that of the archetypical six-helix bundle, our work showcases their versatility inspired by the rich diversity of natural membrane components.
authors: †Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.
authors: Kerstin
authors: K
authors: Göpfrich
authors: †Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.|‡Center for NanoScience and Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80539 München, Germany.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Zettl
authors: †Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.
authors: Anna E C
authors: AE
authors: Meijering
authors: †Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Hernández-Ainsa
authors: ‡Center for NanoScience and Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80539 München, Germany.
authors: Samet
authors: S
authors: Kocabey
authors: ‡Center for NanoScience and Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80539 München, Germany.
authors: Tim
authors: T
authors: Liedl
authors: †Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.
authors: Ulrich F
authors: UF
authors: Keyser
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D036103:Nanotechnology; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D004247:DNA
keywords: DNA nanotechnology; DNA-tiles; artificial ion channels; lipid bilayer; self-assembly; single-molecule