Single molecule nanometronome.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 16522050.
- Also identified by PMC identifier 2597577.
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Abstract
We constructed a DNA-based nanomechanical device called the nanometronome. Our device is made by introducing complementary single-stranded overhangs at the two arms of the DNA four-way junction. The ticking rates of this stochastic metronome depend on ion concentrations and can be changed by a set of DNA-based switches to deactivate/reactivate the sticky end. Since the device displays clearly distinguishable responses even with a single base pair difference, it may lead to a single molecule sensor of minute sequence differences of a target DNA.
Medical subject headings
- DNA
- Nanostructures
- Nanotechnology