Actuating tension-loaded DNA clamps drives membrane tubulation

Abstract

Membrane dynamics in living organisms can arise from proteins adhering to, assembling on, and exerting force on cell membranes. Programmable synthetic materials, such as self-assembled DNA nanostructures, offer the capability to drive membrane remodeling events in a way that resembles protein-mediated dynamics, but with user-defined outcomes. An example showcasing this capability is the tubular deformation of liposomes by DNA nanostructures with purposely designed shapes, surface modifications, and self-assembling properties. However, stimulus-responsive membrane tubulation mediated by DNA structure reconfiguration remains challenging. Here we present the triggered formation of membrane tubes in response to specific DNA signals that actuate membrane-bound DNA clamps from an open state to various predefined closed states, releasing pre-stored energy to activate membrane deformation. Using giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) as a model system, we show that the timing and efficiency of tubulation, as well as the width of membrane tubes, are modulated by the conformational change of DNA clamps, marking a solid step toward spatiotemporal control of membrane dynamics in an artificial system.