From the Cover: Single-nucleotide discrimination in immobilized DNA oligonucleotides with a biological nanopore
Abstract
The sequencing of individual DNA strands with nanopores is under investigation as a rapid, low-cost platform in which bases are identified in order as the DNA strand is transported through a pore under an electrical potential. Although the preparation of solid-state nanopores is improving, biological nanopores, such as α-hemolysin (αHL), are advantageous because they can be precisely manipulated by genetic modification. Here, we show that the transmembrane β-barrel of an engineered αHL pore contains 3 recognition sites that can be used to identify all 4 DNA bases in an immobilized single-stranded DNA molecule, whether they are located in an otherwise homopolymeric DNA strand or in a heteropolymeric strand. The additional steps required to enable nanopore DNA sequencing are outlined.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- May 2009
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.0901054106
- Bibcode:
- 2009PNAS..106.7702S
- Keywords:
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- α
- -hemolysin;
- DNA sequencing;
- genomics;
- protein engineering;
- protein pore;
- Physical Sciences:Applied Physical Sciences