Functional Constitutional Dynamic Networks Revealing Evolutionary Reproduction/Variation/Selection Principles

Liang Yue, Shan Wang, Itamar Willner*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

Within the broad research efforts to engineer chemical pathways to yield high-throughput evolutionary synthesis of genes and their screening for dictated functionalities, we introduce the evolution of nucleic-acid-based constitutional dynamic networks (CDNs) that follow reproduction/variation/selection principles. These fundamental principles are demonstrated by assembling a library of nucleic-acid strands and hairpins as functional modules for evolving networks. Primary T1-initiated selection of components from the library assembles a parent CDN X, where the evolved constituents exhibit catalytic properties to cleave the hairpins in the library. Cleavage of the hairpins yields fragments, which reproduces T1 to replicate CDN X, whereas the other fragments T2 and T3 select other components to evolve two other CDNs, Y and Z (variation). By applying appropriate counter triggers, we demonstrate the guided selection of networks from the evolved CDNs. By integrating additional hairpin substrates into the system, CDN-dictated emergent catalytic transformations are accomplished. The study provides pathways to construct evolutionary dynamic networks revealing enhanced gated and cascaded functions.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)14437-14442
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society
Volume142
Issue number34
DOIs
StatePublished - 26 Aug 2020

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 American Chemical Society.

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