A synthetic enzyme built from DNA flips 10⁷ lipids per second in biological membranes.

ABSTRACT: Mimicking enzyme function and increasing performance of naturally evolved proteins is one of the most challenging and intriguing aims of nanoscience. Here, we employ DNA nanotechnology to design a synthetic enzyme that substantially outperforms its biological archetypes. Consisting of only eight strands, our DNA nanostructure spontaneously inserts into biological membranes by forming a toroidal pore that connects the membrane's inner and outer leaflets. The membrane insertion catalyzes spontaneous transport of lipid molecules between the bilayer leaflets, rapidly equilibrating the lipid composition. Through a combination of microscopic simulations and fluorescence microscopy we find the lipid transport rate catalyzed by the DNA nanostructure exceeds 10⁷ molecules per second, whi

SUBMITTER: Ohmann A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6013447 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature