Recent progress in stimuli‐responsive DNA‐based logic gates: Design, working principles and biological applications

Abstract

Stimuli‐responsive DNA‐based logic gates have emerged as a promising field at the intersection of synthetic biology and nanotechnology. These gates exploit the unique properties of DNA molecules to perform programmable computational operations in response to specific stimuli. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in the design, working principles, and applications of stimuli‐responsive DNA‐based logic gates. The progress made in developing various types of logic gates triggered by metal ions, pH, oligonucleotides, small molecules, proteins, and light is highlighted. The applications of these logic gates in imaging and biosensing, drug delivery, synthetic biology and molecular computing are discussed. This review underscores the significant contributions and future prospects of stimuli‐responsive DNA‐based logic gates in advancing the field of nanotechnology.

A Tunable Threshold Colorimetric DNA Logic Gate for Intuitive Assessment of Chemical Contaminant Exceedance

“…Their output signals, which often manifest as clear and easily identifiable visual cues like color changes, make them ideal for use as screening tools. DNA logic gates stand out due to their precision in recognizing specific sequences, 10,11 which is invaluable for the analysis and detection of microRNAs, 12−14 viral genes, 15,16 and other nucleic acids critical to the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The incorporation of functional nucleic acids such as aptamers, 17,18 capable of binding a wide range of targets, extends the potential of DNA logic gates to encompass the detection of chemical contaminants.…”

“…Their output signals, which often manifest as clear and easily identifiable visual cues like color changes, make them ideal for use as screening tools. DNA logic gates stand out due to their precision in recognizing specific sequences, , which is invaluable for the analysis and detection of microRNAs, − viral genes, , and other nucleic acids critical to the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The incorporation of functional nucleic acids such as aptamers, , capable of binding a wide range of targets, extends the potential of DNA logic gates to encompass the detection of chemical contaminants. − For example, Yan et al developed a system that uses a pesticide-specific aptamer to trigger a signal amplification reaction, translating pesticide detection into nucleic acid signals and enabling the simultaneous detection of acetamiprid and atrazine through four types of DNA logic gates-OR, AND, XOR, and INHIBIT.…”