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A DNA-fuelled molecular machine made of DNA

Author

Listed:
  • Bernard Yurke

    (Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies)

  • Andrew J. Turberfield

    (Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies
    University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory)

  • Allen P. Mills

    (Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies)

  • Friedrich C. Simmel

    (Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies)

  • Jennifer L. Neumann

    (Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies)

Abstract

Molecular recognition between complementary strands of DNA allows construction on a nanometre length scale. For example, DNA tags may be used to organize the assembly of colloidal particles1,2, and DNA templates can direct the growth of semiconductor nanocrystals3 and metal wires4. As a structural material in its own right, DNA can be used to make ordered static arrays of tiles5, linked rings6 and polyhedra7. The construction of active devices is also possible—for example, a nanomechanical switch8, whose conformation is changed by inducing a transition in the chirality of the DNA double helix. Melting of chemically modified DNA has been induced by optical absorption9, and conformational changes caused by the binding of oligonucleotides or other small groups have been shown to change the enzymatic activity of ribozymes10,11,12,13. Here we report the construction of a DNA machine in which the DNA is used not only as a structural material, but also as ‘fuel’. The machine, made from three strands of DNA, has the form of a pair of tweezers. It may be closed and opened by addition of auxiliary strands of ‘fuel’ DNA; each cycle produces a duplex DNA waste product.

Suggested Citation

  • Bernard Yurke & Andrew J. Turberfield & Allen P. Mills & Friedrich C. Simmel & Jennifer L. Neumann, 2000. "A DNA-fuelled molecular machine made of DNA," Nature, Nature, vol. 406(6796), pages 605-608, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:406:y:2000:i:6796:d:10.1038_35020524
    DOI: 10.1038/35020524
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Ferdinand Greiss & Nicolas Lardon & Leonie Schütz & Yoav Barak & Shirley S. Daube & Elmar Weinhold & Vincent Noireaux & Roy Bar-Ziv, 2024. "A genetic circuit on a single DNA molecule as an autonomous dissipative nanodevice," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Andreas Walbrun & Tianhe Wang & Michael Matthies & Petr Šulc & Friedrich C. Simmel & Matthias Rief, 2024. "Single-molecule force spectroscopy of toehold-mediated strand displacement," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Yusuke Takezawa & Keita Mori & Wei-En Huang & Kotaro Nishiyama & Tong Xing & Takahiro Nakama & Mitsuhiko Shionoya, 2023. "Metal-mediated DNA strand displacement and molecular device operations based on base-pair switching of 5-hydroxyuracil nucleobases," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Hong Kang & Yuexuan Yang & Bryan Wei, 2024. "Synthetic molecular switches driven by DNA-modifying enzymes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    5. Sungwook Woo & Sinem K. Saka & Feng Xuan & Peng Yin, 2024. "Molecular robotic agents that survey molecular landscapes for information retrieval," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    6. Ioanna Smyrlaki & Ferenc Fördős & Iris Rocamonde-Lago & Yang Wang & Boxuan Shen & Antonio Lentini & Vincent C. Luca & Björn Reinius & Ana I. Teixeira & Björn Högberg, 2024. "Soluble and multivalent Jag1 DNA origami nanopatterns activate Notch without pulling force," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    7. Junpeng Xu & Guan Alex Wang & Lu Gao & Lang Wu & Qian Lei & Hui Deng & Feng Li, 2023. "Enabling programmable dynamic DNA chemistry using small-molecule DNA binders," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    8. Ehsan Akbari & Melika Shahhosseini & Ariel Robbins & Michael G. Poirier & Jonathan W. Song & Carlos E. Castro, 2022. "Low cost and massively parallel force spectroscopy with fluid loading on a chip," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    9. Swarup Dey & Adam Dorey & Leeza Abraham & Yongzheng Xing & Irene Zhang & Fei Zhang & Stefan Howorka & Hao Yan, 2022. "A reversibly gated protein-transporting membrane channel made of DNA," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    10. Tai-Yin Chiu & Hui-Ju K Chiang & Ruei-Yang Huang & Jie-Hong R Jiang & François Fages, 2015. "Synthesizing Configurable Biochemical Implementation of Linear Systems from Their Transfer Function Specifications," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(9), pages 1-27, September.
    11. Zhao Zhang & Zhaomeng Feng & Xiaowei Zhao & Dominique Jean & Zhiheng Yu & Edwin R. Chapman, 2023. "Functionalization and higher-order organization of liposomes with DNA nanostructures," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.

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