Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2024, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (2): 255-267.doi: 10.1007/s40242-024-4032-6

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Monitoring of Cell Membrane Microenvironment Based on DNA Nanodevices

NAN Hexin, CAI Ming, KUANG Shi, NIE Zhou   

  1. State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
  • Received:2024-02-15 Revised:2024-03-13 Online:2024-04-01 Published:2024-03-27
  • Contact: NIE Zhou niezhou@hnu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Nos. 2021YFA0910100, 2020YFA0907500) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 22034002, 92253304).

Abstract: The cell membrane is a critical barrier for cellular homeostasis, integral to signaling and intercellular communication, and vital for understanding cellular functions and disease mechanisms. Investigating its microenvironment is crucial for uncovering the molecular basis of physiological and pathological processes associated with the cell membrane, driving the development of bioanalytical toolkits capable of dynamically monitoring the cell surface microenvironment. With the continuous advancement of functional nucleic acids and dynamic DNA nanotechnology, DNA nanodevices with controllable nanosized geometry, specific molecular recognition, and selective membrane-localization properties offer a versatile platform for probing the cell membrane microenvironment. In this review, we summarize the current biosensing and membrane-anchoring mechanisms of DNA nanodevices and highlight their use in studying key cell membrane events, including membrane lipid dynamics, transmembrane transport, receptor dimerization, and signal transduction. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges and potential future applications of DNA nanodevices in advancing cell membrane biology research and biomedical applications.

Key words: DNA nanodevice, Cell membrane, Cellular micro-environment, Monitoring