The development of technologies for molecular transport mechanisms
that function in micro-compartments such as liposomes, as well as
methods for controlling their flow rate, is crucial for the
advancement of molecular robotics. Generally, the flow rate of
molecules through a pore structure depends on inner radius and length
of pore. Thus far, the regulation mechanisms of molecular transport
through tubular DNA nanostructures have primarily focused on the inner
radius of pore. However, none of the studies have focused on altering
both the inner radius and length simultaneously. In this study, we
propose a dual-controlling mechanism for regulating the inner radius
and length in tubular DNA nanostructures. We designed
Kresling-Inspired Tubular DNA nanostructure(KIT-D), based on an
origami technique known as Kresling folding. This technique is a
pattern composed of multiple parallelograms, each connected along its
edges to form a tubular shape. By folding each parallelogram along its
diagonal, the structure can be compressed, reducing the inner radius
and the length of the tube as it twists and closes. KIT-D is a DNA
origami nanostructure that utilizes Kresling folding.
Parallelogram-shaped units are connected to each other by
single-strand DNA hinges. The transformation of KIT-D is regulated by
DNA hybridization, in which the degree of opening is fixed with
specific single-strand DNA signals. The dual-control mechanism allows
for regulation of the material flow inside the tube through
synchronous changes in both inner radius and length. By allowing for
such detailed control over the flow rate, this mechanism opens up new
possibilities for the design of molecular-level robotics and
nanomachines. Ultimately, it is expected to enhance the efficiency and
functionality of these systems by providing more versatile and
accurate control over their operations.