Synthetic, Switchable Enzymes

The construction of switchable, radiation-controlled, aptameric enzymes - "swenzymes" - is, in principle, feasible. We propose a strategy to make such catalysts from 2 (or more) aptamers each selected to bind specifically to one of the substrates in, for example, a 2-substrate reaction. Construction of a combinatorial library of candidate swenzymes entails selecting a set of a million aptamers that bind one substrate and a second set of a million aptamers that bind the second substrate; the aptamers in these sets are then linked pairwise by a linker, thus bringing together the substrates. In the presence of the substrates, some linked aptamer pairs catalyze the reaction when exposed to external energy in the…

• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Award: R01GM105978
• CI
  Canadian Institutes of Health Research

  Award: CPG 134747
• NI
  National Institute of General Medical Sciences

  Award: R01GM105978