Development of a photo-driven molecular machine with photo-responsive DNA

在这个项目中，我们的目标是创造新的光驱动DNA机器，它具有涉及偶氮苯的光响应DNA。首先，我们设计了一种新的修饰偶氮苯，能够有效地光调节DNA杂交。我们发现，对两个邻位的远端苯环进行修饰对于提高顺式结构的光调节效率和热稳定性都是有效的。此外，我们还澄清了交替碱基对和偶氮苯残基的修饰双链只允许通过光照射来完全光调节DNA杂交。基于这些结果，我们成功地构建了1)可可逆消化靶RNA的光驱动DNA机器，2)可光降解的DNA纳米胶囊，以及3)与可见光响应性偶氮苯相结合可以像秋千一样移动的DNA机器。

In this project, we aimed at creating new photo-driven DNA machines with photo-responsive DNA involving azobenzenes. First, we designed a newly modified azobenzene that enables efficient photo-regulation of DNA hybridization. We found that modification of a distal benzene ring at two ortho-positions was effective for the improvement of both photoregulatory efficiency and thermal stability of cis-form. Furthermore, we also clarified that the modified duplex of alternating base-pair and azobenzene residues allowed complete photo-regulation of DNA hybridization only by light-irradiation. Based on these results, we successfully constructed 1) photo-driven DNA machine that can reversibly digest target RNA, 2) photo-degradable DNA nano-capsule, and 3) DNA machine that can move like seesaw by the combination with visible light-responsive azobenzene.