A DNA-programmed Cargo Distributing System in Living Cells

The functionalization of living cells, both internally and externally, transforming them into micromachines with specified functions, holds significant potential in fields such as biosensing, biocomputing, and intelligent theranostics. However, due to the complexity and dynamic nature of living cells, it remains challenging to allocate exogenous functional materials to specific locations within the cell or on its surface and maintain their positions stable for a reasonable period. Here, we devise a DNA-programmed cargo distributing system (DCD), capable of distributing functional modules to the cell membrane or within the cell as needed. This system includes an amphiphilic DNA structure for determining the destination of the cargo and a DNA connector carried on it for recognizing the DNA-encoded cargo. We test three different morphologies of amphiphilic DNA structures and find that their efficiencies in cell surface retention and cell internalization significantly varied, enabling the distribution of nanoparticle cargos on the cell membrane and within the cell in distinct proportions. Their positions can remain stable for at least 6 hours. Moreover, this allocation method shows specificity, which minimizes the deployment of mismatched cargo. This method provides new tools for the modular construction of cellular micromachines.

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