Recognizing a Single Base in an Individual DNA Strand:A Step Toward DNA Sequencing in Nanopores

摘要

There has been an intriguing suggestion that Staphylococcus aureus alpha-hemolysin (alpha-HL),a stable heptameric transmem-brane protein pore,may be of use as the sensor element in a rapid,pore-mediated,single-molecule DNA sequencing process.Although there remain several requirements that must be met before such a process can be realized,the most fundamental concern has been whether alpha-HL,or any other natural or manmade nanopore structure,is capable of recognizing DNA with single nucleobase resolution.