1.D.319.  The DNA Origami Transmembrane Large Porin (DOTLP) Family

DNA nanotechnology allows for the creation of three-dimensional structures at nanometer scale. Göpfrich et al. 2016 used DNA to build the largest synthetic pore in a lipid membrane to date, approaching the dimensions of the nuclear pore complex and increasing the pore-area and the conductance 10-fold compared to previous man-made channels. 19 cholesterol tags anchor the megadalton funnel-shaped DNA origami porin in a lipid bilayer membrane. Confocal imaging and ionic current recordings revealed spontaneous insertion of the DNA porin into the lipid membrane, creating a transmembrane pore of tens of nanosiemens conductance. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations characterized the conductance mechanism at the atomic level and independently confirmed the DNA porins' large ionic conductance (Göpfrich et al. 2016).

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