华东师范大学裴昊团队报道了拓扑编程DNA折纸的编码信号传播。相关研究成果发表在2024年6月17日出版的《自然—化学》。

生物系统通常依靠拓扑变换来重新配置节点之间的连接，以引导分子信息的流动。

该文中，研究人员开发了一个拓扑编程的DNA折纸系统，该系统在纳米尺度上编码信号传播，类似于细胞系统中拓扑高效的信息处理。研究人员提出了一种涉及“胶切”过程的拓扑操作的系统分子实现，该过程可以促使DNA折纸结构的全局构象变化，并证明了主要的拓扑性质，包括属、边界成分的数量和可定向性。

通过在空间上排列反应性DNA发夹，研究人员展示了信号在不同长度和方向的传输路径上的传播，以及三维原始曲面上的曲率。这些DNA折纸还可以形成动态支架，用于调节空间和时间信号传播，从而拓扑变换自发地改变信号传播网络的节点和边界的位置。

研究认为，该拓扑运算策略将为制造能够在可编程控制下，进行全局结构变换的动态DNA折纸纳米结构提供一条通用途径。

附：英文原文

Title: Encoding signal propagation on topology-programmed DNA origami

Author: Ji, Wei, Xiong, Xiewei, Cao, Mengyao, Zhu, Yun, Li, Li, Wang, Fei, Fan, Chunhai, Pei, Hao

Issue&Volume: 2024-06-17

Abstract: Biological systems often rely on topological transformation to reconfigure connectivity between nodes to guide the flux of molecular information. Here we develop a topology-programmed DNA origami system that encodes signal propagation at the nanoscale, analogous to topologically efficient information processing in cellular systems. We present a systematic molecular implementation of topological operations involving ‘glue–cut’ processes that can prompt global conformational change of DNA origami structures, with demonstrated major topological properties including genus, number of boundary components and orientability. By spatially arranging reactive DNA hairpins, we demonstrate signal propagation across transmission paths of varying lengths and orientations, and curvatures on the curved surfaces of three-dimensional origamis. These DNA origamis can also form dynamic scaffolds for regulating the spatial and temporal signal propagations whereby topological transformations spontaneously alter the location of nodes and boundary of signal propagation network. We anticipate that our strategy for topological operations will provide a general route to manufacture dynamic DNA origami nanostructures capable of performing global structural transformations under programmable control.

DOI: 10.1038/s41557-024-01565-2

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-024-01565-2