Identification of Nucleic Acid Bases that Cannot be Distinguished by DNA (Uracil, Thymine)Achieved Using Hand-Operating Nanotechnology

2010.09.15

National Institute for Materials Science

Principal Investigator Katsuhiko Ariga and coworkers at the MANA of the NIMS in collaboration with Osaka City University have developed an synthetic membrane with the ability to identify the genetic code (nucleic acid bases) uracil (U) and thymine (T) at greater than 60 times sensitivity.

Abstract

  1. Principal Investigator Katsuhiko Ariga and coworkers at the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA; Director-General Masakazu Aono) of the National Institute for Material Science (NIMS; President Sukekatsu Ushioda) in collaboration with Osaka City University have developed an synthetic membrane with the ability to identify the genetic code (nucleic acid bases) uracil (U) and thymine (T) at greater than 60 times sensitivity. Even DNA is unable to distinguish these two genetic codes.
  2. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are the blueprints for biomolecules and genetic information is precisely transmitted from DNA to RNA as well as DNA to DNA. As there is only a one-carbon atom difference between the structures of T and U, if they are accidentally mixed, DNA is unable to distinguish them and this may become the cause of disease or mutations. Thus, it was necessary to develop a method that could reliably distinguish between T and U, which have extremely similar structures.
  3. The group has developed a method that can make an optimal structure to distinguish between T and U by synthesizing a molecule called armed Cyclononane, and using it to form a membrane on a water surface and appropriately deforming it by fine tuning with manual compression to shape into an optimal structure. This method has succeeded in achieving a maximum of 64 times the precision for distinguishing between these two nuclear acid bases that "even DNA cannot". This method can also be performed using the surface of a flexible polymer or gel and can be applied for precisely analyzing gene configuration of DNA, detecting genetic disorders and precisely sensing other biomolecules such as asymmetric amino acids.
  4. This result has been achieved by using the world-leading Hand-Operating Nanotechnology, which was developed by the group. This technology allows arraying of molecular machines and other functional molecules as a membrane on an interface and enables simple manual manipulation of the membrane such as compression to allow nanometer level movement control of functional molecules. By using this technology, the nanotechnology function such as grasping and releasing molecules, delivering drugs and arraying materials as desired can be controlled by hand movements and other routine operations.
  5. This research is conducted as a part of "Dynamic Interfacial Nanotechnology for Integration between Nano and Macroscopic Worlds" (Principal Investigator: Katsuhiko Ariga) in the "Development of High-Performance Nanostructures for Process Integration" Research Area (Research Coordinator: Masahiro Irie) of the Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST) program of the Japan Science and Technology Agency.