DNA dynamics and computation based on toehold-free strand displacement.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34404799.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-021-25270-7 and PMC identifier 8371076.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
We present a simple and effective scheme of a dynamic switch for DNA nanostructures. Under such a framework of toehold-free strand displacement, blocking strands at an excess amount are applied to displace the complementation of specific segments of paired duplexes. The functional mechanism of the scheme is illustrated by modelling the base pairing kinetics of competing strands on a target strand. Simulation reveals the unique properties of toehold-free strand displacement in equilibrium control, which can be leveraged for information processing. Based on the controllable dynamics in the binding of preformed DNA nanostructures, a multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) Boolean function is controlled by the presence of the blockers. In conclusion, we implement two MIMO Boolean functions (one with 4-bit input and 2-bit output, and the other with 16-bit input and 8-bit output) to showcase the controllable dynamics.
Medical subject headings
- DNA
- Nanostructures