biostudies-literatureYang MGouvernement du Canada | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of CanadaGouvernement du Canada | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (Conseil de Recherches en Sciences Naturelles et en Génie du Canada)Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR)Michael Smith Foundation for Health ResearchCanada Foundation for Innovation (Fondation canadienne pour l'innovation)Canada Foundation for InnovationCanada Research Chairs (Chaires de recherche du Canada)Canada Research Chairs8828https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11470926biostudies-literatureUnknown15(1)Unlike most adhesive bonds, biological catch bonds strengthen with increased tension. This characteristic is essential to specific receptor-ligand interactions, underpinning biological adhesion dynamics, cell communication, and mechanosensing. While artificial catch bonds have been conceived, the tunability of their catch behaviour is limited. Here, we present the fish-hook, a rationally designed DNA catch bond that can be finely adjusted to a wide range of catch behaviours. We develop models to design these DNA structures and experimentally validate different catch behaviours by single-molecule force spectroscopy. The fish-hook architecture supports a vast sequence-dependent behaviour space, making it a valuable tool for reprogramming biological interactions and engineering force-strengthening materials.Nature communicationsEngineering tunable catch bonds with DNA.PMC11470926CRC-2020-0014335492SCH-2020-0559RGPIN-2017-04407, RGPIN-2024-04352Li ITSYang MBakker DTRfalseEngineering tunable catch bonds with DNA.Unlike most adhesive bonds, biological catch bonds strengthen with increased tension. This characteristic is essential to specific receptor-ligand interactions, underpinning biological adhesion dynamics, cell communication, and mechanosensing. While artificial catch bonds have been conceived, the tunability of their catch behaviour is limited. Here, we present the fish-hook, a rationally designed DNA catch bond that can be finely adjusted to a wide range of catch behaviours. We develop models to design these DNA structures and experimentally validate different catch behaviours by single-molecule force spectroscopy. The fish-hook architecture supports a vast sequence-dependent behaviour space, making it a valuable tool for reprogramming biological interactions and engineering force-strengthening materials.2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Oct2025-04-04T07:40:40.926Z2025-04-04T07:40:40.926ZS-EPMC114709263939604810.1038/s41467-024-52749-w