A Two-State DNA Lattice Switched by DNA Nanoactuator

摘要

Controlled mechanical movement in molecular scale devices is one of the key goals of nanotechnology. DNA is an excellent candidate for the construction of such devices due to the specificity of base pairing and its robust physicochemical properties. Well-known as the genetic material, DNA has recently been explored as a smart material for constructing periodically patterned structures and nanomechanical devices. A variety of DNA-based molecular machines displaying rotational and open/close movements have recently been demonstrated. Reversible shifting of the equilibrium between two conformational states is triggered by changes in external conditions or by the addition of a "DNA fuel strand" that provides the driving force for such changes.