Construction of stimuli-responsive artificial organelles for molecular robots

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K19918
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 62010:Life, health and medical informatics-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: SATO Yusuke 東北大学, 学際科学フロンティア研究所, 助教 (60830560)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: DNAナノテクノロジー / 液ー液相分離 / 分子ロボティクス / パターン形成

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This work aimed to construct artificial organelles that can be assembled and disassembled in response to external stimulation. DNA nanostructures capable of exhibiting liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) were designed. The formation of the DNA droplets in response to specific DNA strands was confirmed. I succeeded in accumulating multiple functional enzymes into DNA droplets formed via LLPS at specific ambient conditions. We also attempted to construct DNA microstructures with domains, which was inspired by the domain formation of lipid bilayer via lateral phase separation. The formation of the phase-separated capsule-like structures was achieved. Regulating the formed patterns and the degradation of the capsule structures by enzymatic reactions were also demonstrated.

Free Research Field

分子ロボティクス，生物物理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

DNAを利用することで，ナノ・マイクロ構造の構築にとどまらず，情報処理デバイスや刺激に応答して変形するデバイスを作ることができる．したがって，このようなDNAデバイスとDNAで形成されたオルガネラおよびカプセル構造を組み合わせることで，将来的には，刺激に応答した運動や，標的を認識してカプセルの中身を放出するなど，様々な機能を持った人工オルガネラ・カプセル構造への発展が期待され，医学，工学など多くの研究分野への寄与が見込める．