Nucleic Acid Enzyme-Based DNA Nanomachine for Biosensing - DNA Nanotechnology: From Structure to Function - page 308

DNAzyme. In the presence of hemin, these two copies assembled into the hemin-
G-quadruplex DNAzyme that catalyzed the oxidation of ABTS 2 to the colored
ABTS • for the spectroscopic readout of the sensing process.

14.4 Perspectives

In any case, the use of the information encoded in DNA for developing new sensing
platforms has been proven a viable technology. Substantial progress has been
accomplished in the recent years in developing nucleic acid enzyme-based DNA
machines that possess the function of mechanical motion or sensing. The advantage
of using aptamer-DNAzyme subunits and their self-assembly into supramolecular
binder-catalyst complexes was demonstrated by revealing a low signal background.
However, the promises of DNA-based molecular machines in the future bioan-
alytical science rest on the ability to design ultrasensitive isothermal detection
platforms that may substitute the polymerase chain reaction. We may certainly
look forward to DNA machines performing exponential replication processes under
isothermal conditions. On the basis of the progress in the past years, DNA-based
nanotechnology provides exciting, bright scientific opportunities for the future.

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