A dynamically gated triangular DNA nanopore for molecular sensing and cross-membrane transport

Abstract

Abstract Synthetic membrane nanopores made of DNA are promising systems to sense and control molecular transport in biosensing, sequencing, and synthetic cells. Dynamically gating cargo transport like the natural ion channels and systematically increasing the lumen size have become long-standing desires in developing nanopores. Here, we design a triangular DNA nanopore with a large dynamically-gated lumen. It can switch between expanded and contracted states without changing its stable triangular shape, whereby specific DNA bindings as stimuli mechanically pinch and release the three corners of the triangular frame. Transmission electron microscopy images and molecular dynamics simulations illustrated the large lumen up to 539 nm2, the stable architectures, and the high shape retention. Single-channel current recordings and fluorescence influx studies demonstrated the low-noise repeatable readouts and the controllable cross-membrane macromolecular transport. We envision that the proposed DNA nanopores could offer powerful tools in molecular sensing, drug delivery, and the creation of synthetic cells.