Mechano-fluorescence actuation in single synaptic vesicles with a DNA framework nanomachine.

Journal: Science robotics
Published Date: Dec 21, 2022

Abstract

Biomimetic machines that can convert mechanical actuation to adaptive coloration in a manner analogous to cephalopods have found widespread applications at various length scales. At the nanoscale, a transmutable nanomachine with adaptive colors that can sense and mediate cellular or intracellular interactions is highly desirable. Here, we report the design of a DNA framework nanomachine (DFN) that can autonomously change shape in response to pH variations in single synaptic vesicles, which, in turn, displays adaptive fluorescent colors with a mechano-fluorescence actuation mechanism. To construct a DFN, we used a tetrahedral DNA nanostructure as the framework to incorporate an embedded pH-responsive, i-motif sequence tagged with a Förster resonance energy transfer pair and an affinity cholesterol moiety targeting vesicular membranes. We found that endocytosed DFNs are individually trapped in single endocytic vesicles in living synaptic cells due to the size-exclusion effect. The adaptive fluorescence coloration of DFNs enabled single-vesicle quantification of resting pH values in a processive manner, allowing long-term tracking of the exocytosis and fusion dynamics in intracellular processes and cell-cell communications.

Authors

  • Jiangbo Liu
    Institute of Molecular Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Nanomedicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China.
  • Xinxin Jing
    School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Zhang Jiang Institute for Advanced Study, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules and National Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
  • Mengmeng Liu
    Department of First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
  • Fan Li
    Department of Instrument Science and Engineering, School of SEIEE, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
  • Min Li
    Hubei Provincial Institute for Food Supervision and Test, Hubei Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Food Quality and Safety Test, Wuhan 430075, China.
  • Qian Li
    Emergency and Critical Care Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
  • Jiye Shi
    UCB Pharma, Slough, Berkshire SL1 3WE, U.K.
  • Jiang Li
  • Lihua Wang
    Division of Physical Biology & Bioimaging Center, Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, CAS Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China.
  • Xiuhai Mao
    Institute of Molecular Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Nanomedicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China.
  • Xiaolei Zuo
    Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Liver Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Nanomedicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China.
  • Chunhai Fan
    Division of Physical Biology & Bioimaging Center, Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, CAS Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China.

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