Clocked stepping of an artificial protein walker along a DNA track

Title data

Nilsson, Patrik ; Robertson, Neil O. ; Gustafsson, Nils ; Davies, Roberta B. ; Liew, Chu Wai ; Lyons, Aaron ; Eichhorn, Ralf ; Niman, Cassandra S. ; Blab, Gerhard A. ; Bromley, Elizabeth H. C. ; Whitten, Andrew E. ; Duff, Anthony P. ; Unksov, Ivan N. ; Beech, Jason P. ; Jönsson, Peter ; Böcking, Till ; Höcker, Birte ; Woolfson, Derek N. ; Forde, Nancy R. ; Linke, Heiner ; Curmi, Paul M. G.:
Clocked stepping of an artificial protein walker along a DNA track.
In: Nature Nanotechnology. (2026) .
ISSN 1748-3387
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-026-02211-3

Official URL:

Abstract in another language

Molecular motors are fundamental to life because they transduce free energy into mechanical work, a capability rooted in the chemical and structural complexity of their constituent proteins. Although motors based on small molecules and DNA have been developed, the creation of an artificial protein motor has remained an elusive goal in synthetic biology. Here we report the realization of an artificial, externally controlled protein motor, termed Tumbleweed (TW). TW was engineered using a modular design strategy that combines proteins with well-characterized properties to produce emergent motor function and directionality. TW comprises three ‘legs’, each containing a ligand-gated DNA-binding domain that enables selective interaction with specific sites along a DNA track. Using single-molecule fluorescence assays in conjunction with a programmable microfluidic device, we show that TW takes directional 16 nm steps along a designed DNA substrate in response to a defined sequence of ligand inputs. Moreover, both the timing and direction of stepping can be precisely controlled on a timescale of seconds. This approach provides a versatile platform for engineering dynamic and sophisticated protein-based nanomachines, as well as for probing the physical principles governing protein walkers with precisely defined architectures.

Further data

Item Type:	Article in a journal
Refereed:	No
Keywords:	artificial protein walker
Institutions of the University:	Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Chemistry > Chair Biochemistry III - Protein Design > Chair Biochemistry III - Protein Design - Univ.-Prof. Dr. Birte Höcker
Result of work at the UBT:	Yes
DDC Subjects:	500 Science > 540 Chemistry
Date Deposited:	08 Jul 2026 06:29
Last Modified:	08 Jul 2026 06:29
URI:	https://eref.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/98989