Dopamine-binding DNA folds into an unusual compact structure
A peer-reviewed laboratory study resolved an unusual three-dimensional fold in a short DNA molecule that binds dopamine. Its architecture relies largely on noncanonical base pairing rather than a conventional double-helical core. The structural findings informed a laboratory sensing application, but continuous measurement in brain tissue and clinical use in people remain unvalidated.
Science··Midday
A compact DNA fold binds dopamine
A short DNA aptamer, a nucleic-acid molecule selected to recognise a particular target, formed an unusual compact structure when bound to dopamine in a peer-reviewed laboratory study. Dopamine is a chemical messenger involved in communication between nerve cells. Nuclear magnetic resonance measurements revealed a fold dominated by noncanonical base pairing. Only two base pairs followed the familiar Watson–Crick pattern, alongside eleven noncanonical pairs; the structure lacked a continuous conventional double-helical core.[1]
The unbound molecule was relatively disordered, then folded around its target. Despite its abundance of guanine, one of DNA's bases, it did not form the familiar four-stranded guanine core. The bound dopamine molecule sat within a pocket largely enclosed by DNA bases. The researchers assessed fifteen structural models together and compared recognition of related molecules. These observations describe how a selected DNA molecule recognises its target in controlled solution, expanding the set of experimentally observed aptamer shapes.[1]
The structure informs a laboratory sensor
The structural findings informed an electrochemical sensor whose electrical response varied with dopamine concentration. Folding and the molecule's orientation at an electrode influenced sensing alongside its sequence. The laboratory results do not establish continuous dopamine measurement in brain tissue or clinical use in people. The study shared structural and measurement data through public repositories, while its demonstrated sensing remains confined to the tested solution conditions.[1]
