Rectifying artificial nanochannels with multiple interconvertible permeability states

Ruocan Qian; Mansha Wu; Zhenglin Yang; Yuting Wu; Weijie Guo; Zerui Zhou; Xiaoyuan Wang; Dawei Li; Yi Lu

doi:10.1038/s41467-024-46312-w

Rectifying artificial nanochannels with multiple interconvertible permeability states

Nat Commun. 2024 Mar 6;15(1):2051. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-46312-w.

Authors

Ruocan Qian^#^{1

2

3

4}, Mansha Wu^#^{5

6

7

8}, Zhenglin Yang⁹, Yuting Wu⁹, Weijie Guo¹⁰, Zerui Zhou^{5

6

7

8}, Xiaoyuan Wang^{5

6

7

8}, Dawei Li^{5

6

7

8}, Yi Lu^{11

12}

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, P. R. China. ruocanqian@ecust.edu.cn.
² Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, Joint International Laboratory for Precision Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, P. R. China. ruocanqian@ecust.edu.cn.
³ Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology & Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, P. R. China. ruocanqian@ecust.edu.cn.
⁴ School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, P. R. China. ruocanqian@ecust.edu.cn.
⁵ Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, P. R. China.
⁶ Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, Joint International Laboratory for Precision Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, P. R. China.
⁷ Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology & Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, P. R. China.
⁸ School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, P. R. China.
⁹ Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
¹¹ Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA. yi.lu@utexas.edu.
¹² Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA. yi.lu@utexas.edu.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Transmembrane channels play a vital role in regulating the permeation process, and have inspired recent development of biomimetic channels. Herein, we report a class of artificial biomimetic nanochannels based on DNAzyme-functionalized glass nanopipettes to realize delicate control of channel permeability, whereby the surface wettability and charge can be tuned by metal ions and DNAzyme-substrates, allowing reversible conversion between different permeability states. We demonstrate that the nanochannels can be reversibly switched between four different permeability states showing distinct permeability to various functional molecules. By embedding the artificial nanochannels into the plasma membrane of single living cells, we achieve selective transport of dye molecules across the cell membrane. Finally, we report on the advanced functions including gene silencing of miR-21 in single cancer cells and selective transport of Ca²⁺ into single PC-12 cells. In this work, we provide a versatile tool for the design of rectifying artificial nanochannels with on-demand functions.

MeSH terms

Biomimetics
Cell Membrane
DNA, Catalytic*
Gene Silencing
Permeability

Substances

DNA, Catalytic

Grants and funding

R35 GM141931/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States