Metallo-toeholds: controlling DNA strand displacement driven by Hg(II) ions

Toehold-mediated strand displacement is a powerful tool that permits programmable control over DNA hybridization. Here, we developed a mechanism for strand displacement driven by Hg2+ ions, in which the insertion of thymine-thymine mismatched base pairs on the toeholds provides additional control through variation of the concentration of Hg2+ ions.