Due to its versatility and programmability, DNA nanotechnology has greatly expanded the experimental toolbox for biomedical research. Recent advances allow reliable and efficient functionalization of cellular plasma membranes with a variety of synthetic DNA constructs, ranging from single strands to complex 3D DNA origami. The scope for applications, which probe biophysical parameters or equip cells with novel functions, is rapidly increasing. These applications extend from programmed cellular connectivity and tissue engineering to molecular force measurements, controlled receptor-ligand interactions, membrane-anchored biosensors, and artificial transmembrane structures. Here, we give guidance on different strategies to functionalize cellular membranes with DNA nanotechnology and summarize current trends employing membrane-anchored DNA as a tool in biophysics, cell biology, and synthetic biology.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2021.02.002 | DOI Listing |
Eur J Pharmacol
January 2025
Department of Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai 600077, Tamil Nadu, India. Electronic address:
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide with high recurrence rates and resistance to conventional therapies. Recent studies have highlighted the pivotal role of oral cancer stem cells (OCSCs) in driving treatment resistance and tumor recurrence. OCSCs possess unique properties, including self-renewal, differentiation potential, and resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which contribute to their ability to survive treatment and initiate tumor relapse.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProbiotics Antimicrob Proteins
January 2025
Faculty of Biotechnologies (BioTech), ITMO University, 9 Lomonosova Street, 191002, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small, positively charged biomolecules produced by various organisms such as animals, microbes, and plants. These AMPs play a significant role in defense mechanisms and protect from adverse conditions. The emerging problem of drug resistance in microbes poses a global health challenge in treating diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Plants
January 2025
Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Nanoparticle-mediated delivery of nucleic acids and proteins into intact plants has the potential to modify metabolic pathways and confer desirable traits in crops. Here we show that layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets coated with lysozyme are actively taken up into the root tip, root hairs and lateral root junctions by endocytosis, and translocate via an active membrane trafficking pathway in plants. Lysozyme coating enhanced nanosheet uptake by (1) loosening the plant cell wall and (2) stimulating the expression of endocytosis and other membrane trafficking genes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Commun
January 2025
Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Monovalent salts are generally believed to stabilize DNA duplex by weakening inter-strand electrostatic repulsion. Unexpectedly, our force-induced hairpin unzipping experiments and thermal melting experiments show that LiCl, NaCl, KCl, RbCl, and CsCl at concentrations beyond ~1 M destabilize DNA, RNA, and RNA-DNA duplexes. The two types of experiments yield different changes in free energy during melting, while the results that high concentration monovalent salts destabilize duplexes are common.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Aspects Med
January 2025
Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, 116011, China. Electronic address:
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a malignant tumor with highly heterogeneous and complex molecular mechanisms. Through systematic analysis of TCGA, COSMIC and other databases, 24 mutated genes closely related to RCC were screened, including VHL, PBRM1, BAP1 and SETD2, which play key roles in signaling pathway transduction, chromatin remodeling and DNA repair. The PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway is particularly important in the pathogenesis of RCC.
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