Sensing viruses by mechanical tension of DNA in responsive hydrogels
Sensing viruses by mechanical tension of DNA in responsive hydrogels
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DOI：
10.1103/physrevx.4.021002
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发表时间：
2013-10
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Jaeoh Shin;Andrey G. Cherstvy;R. Metzler
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Jaeoh Shin;Andrey G. Cherstvy;R. Metzler
严重病毒感染在全球范围内的快速传播，通常涉及病毒的新修饰，对我们的卫生保健系统构成了重大挑战。这意味着，能够有效和具体地诊断病毒的工具是非常必要的。为了在当地卫生保健中心广泛应用，这些工具应该相对便宜且易于使用。在这里，我们讨论的基础上诱导的机械应力在一束预拉伸的DNA分子结合病毒的DNA的基础上的宏观检测病毒的生物物理潜力。我们表明，DNA的亲和力，带电的病毒表面诱导的双螺旋成两个单链DNA的局部熔化。该过程沿DNA链产生沿着的机械应力，导致DNA的整体收缩。我们的研究结果表明，当这样的DNA束被纳入到一个支持矩阵，如响应水凝胶，病毒的存在确实可能会导致一个显着的，宏观的机械变形的矩阵。我们讨论了这种效应的生物物理基础，并表征了相关的DNA熔融转变的物理性质。特别是，我们揭示了系统的相关物理参数之间的几个标度关系。我们推广这种基于DNA的检测方法，用于高效和特异性的病毒筛查。
The rapid worldwide spread of severe viral infections, often involving novel modifications of viruses, poses major challenges to our health care systems. This means that tools that can efficiently and specifically diagnose viruses are much needed. To be relevant for a broad application in local health care centers, such tools should be relatively cheap and easy to use. Here we discuss the biophysical potential for the macroscopic detection of viruses based on the induction of a mechanical stress in a bundle of pre-stretched DNA molecules upon binding of viruses to the DNA. We show that the affinity of the DNA to the charged virus surface induces a local melting of the double-helix into two single-stranded DNA. This process effects a mechanical stress along the DNA chains leading to an overall contraction of the DNA. Our results suggest that when such DNA bundles are incorporated in a supporting matrix such as a responsive hydrogel, the presence of viruses may indeed lead to a significant, macroscopic mechanical deformation of the matrix. We discuss the biophysical basis for this effect and characterize the physical properties of the associated DNA melting transition. In particular, we reveal several scaling relations between the relevant physical parameters of the system. We promote this DNA-based assay for efficient and specific virus screening.