Engineering of Nucleic Acids and Synthetic Cofactors as Holo Sensors for Probing Signaling Molecules in the Cellular Membrane Microenvironment

The comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying the interaction of cells with their membrane microenvironment is of great value for fundamental biological research; however, tracking biomolecules on cell surfaces with high temporal and spatial resolution remains a challenge. Herein, a modular strategy is presented for the construction of cell surface DNA-based sensors by engineering DNA motifs and synthetic cofactors. In this strategy, a stimuli-reactive organic molecule is employed as the cofactor for the DNA motif, and the self-assembly of them forms a FRET-based holo DNA-based sensor. With the use of the DNA-based sensors, the versatility of this modular strategy has been demonstrated in the ratiometric imaging of the cellular extrusion process of endogenous signaling molecules, including sulfur dioxide derivatives and nitric oxide.