A DNA nanotransport device powered by polymerase phi29.

Abstract

Polymerases are a family of enzymes responsible for copying or replication of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) templates and hence sustenance of life processes. In this paper, we present a method to exploit a strand-displacing polymerase phi29 as a driving force for nanoscale transportation devices. The principal idea behind the device is strong strand displacement ability of phi29, which can displace any DNA strand from its template while extending a primer hybridized to the template. This capability of phi29 is used to power the movement of a target nanostructure on a DNA track. The major advantage of using a polymerase driven nanotransportation device as compared to other existing nanorobotical devices is its speed. phi29 polymerase can travel at the rate of 2000 nucleotides per minute at room temperature, which translates to approximately 680 nm min(-1) on a nanostructure. We also demonstrate transportation of a DNA cargo on a DNA track with the help of fluorescence resonance electron transfer data.