Reaction time of DNA tweezers

[摘要] OBJECTIVES AND BACKGROUND: The DNA tweezers is a nanomachine composed of several DNA strands. It can switch between two mechanical states (open and closed), depending on what input is given to the system. In this article, it is the presence of a fuel and/or releasing strand. METHODS: To check whether the tweezers are in one or another state (or are in transition between those states in either direction) using the method FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer). We decided to propose three methods on how to process the reaction time of DNA tweezers, since there was no attempt to measure their time by these methods before (F-test, fitting and comparing the slope of the tangent line, and calculating the work efficiency). A description of used methods and criteria for calculating the reaction time are present in this article. RESULTS: Our study provided a comparison of statistical calculations of DNA tweezers’ reaction time performed by three different methods. CONCLUSION: The methods we used to calculate the reaction time of DNA tweezers gave very different results. This is because the methods are very different (mainly F-test from fitting) and each of them has its advantages and disadvantages (Fig. 14, Ref. 25).

[学科分类] 医学（综合）

[关键词] DNA tweezers;nanomachine;fluorescence resonance energy transfer;reaction time.