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Gating-like Motions and Wall Porosity in a DNA Nanopore Scaffold Revealed by Molecular Simulations

Maingi, V; Lelimousin, M; Howorka, S; Sansom, MS; (2015) Gating-like Motions and Wall Porosity in a DNA Nanopore Scaffold Revealed by Molecular Simulations. ACS Nano , 9 (11) pp. 11209-11217. 10.1021/acsnano.5b06357. Green open access

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Abstract

Recently developed synthetic membrane pores composed of folded DNA enrich the current range of natural and engineered protein pores and of nonbiogenic channels. Here we report all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of a DNA nanotube (DNT) pore scaffold to gain fundamental insight into its atomic structure, dynamics, and interactions with ions and water. Our multiple simulations of models of DNTs that are composed of a six-duplex bundle lead to a coherent description. The central tube lumen adopts a cylindrical shape while the mouth regions at the two DNT openings undergo gating-like motions which provide a possible molecular explanation of a lower conductance state observed in our previous experimental study on a membrane-spanning version of the DNT (ACS Nano 2015, 9, 1117-26). Similarly, the central nanotube lumen is filled with water and ions characterized by bulk diffusion coefficients while the gating regions exhibit temporal fluctuations in their aqueous volume. We furthermore observe that the porous nature of the walls allows lateral leakage of ions and water. This study will benefit rational design of DNA nanopores of enhanced stability of relevance for sensing applications, of nanodevices with tunable gating properties that mimic gated ion channels, or of nanopores featuring defined permeation behavior.

Type: Article
Title: Gating-like Motions and Wall Porosity in a DNA Nanopore Scaffold Revealed by Molecular Simulations
Location: United States
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5b06357
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5b06357
Language: English
Additional information: “This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Nano, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5b06357
Keywords: DNA origami, diffusion, gating, molecular dynamics, nanopore
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Chemistry
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1474134
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