title: A DNA Nanodevice That Loads and Releases a Cargo with Hemoglobin-Like Allosteric Control and Cooperativity.
abstract: Here we report the rational design of a synthetic molecular nanodevice that is directly inspired from hemoglobin, a highly evolved protein whose oxygen-carrying activity is finely regulated by a sophisticated network of control mechanisms. Inspired by the impressive performance of hemoglobin we have designed and engineered in vitro a synthetic DNA-based nanodevice containing up to four interacting binding sites that, like hemoglobin, can load and release a cargo over narrow concentration ranges, and whose affinity can be finely controlled via both allosteric effectors and environmental cues like pH and temperature. As the first example of a synthetic DNA nanodevice that undergoes a complex network of nature-inspired control mechanisms, this represents an important step toward the use of similar nanodevices for diagnostic and drug-delivery applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Rome, Tor Vergata , Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mariottini
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Rome, Tor Vergata , Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6004-270X
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Idili
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biosensors & Nanomachines, Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal , C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3J7.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vallée-Bélisle
authors.forename: Kevin W
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4772-8771
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Plaxco
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Rome, Tor Vergata , Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4941-8646
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ricci
mesh_terms: D000494:Allosteric Regulation; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D065546:Drug Liberation; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D006454:Hemoglobins; D004247:DNA
keywords: DNA nanomachines; DNA nanoswitches; DNA nanotechnology; cooperativity; molecular devices