Dynamic DNA-based nanodevices supply versatile molecular-level operations, however the majority of them undergo from sluggish kinetics, impeding the development of machine complexity. On this work, we current the self-assembly of a cationic peptide with DNA to expedite toehold-mediated DNA strand displacement (TMSD) reactions, a basic mechanism enabling the dynamic management and actuation of DNA nanostructures. The goal DNA is modified with a fluorophore and a quencher, in order that the TMSD course of will be monitored by recording the time-dependent fluorescence adjustments. The boosting impact of the peptides is discovered to be depending on the peptide/DNA N/P ratio, the toehold/invader binding affinity, and the ionic energy with stronger results noticed at decrease ionic strengths, suggesting that electrostatic interactions play a key position. Moreover, we display that the cationic peptide enhances the responsiveness and robustness of DNA equipment tweezers or logic circuits (AND and OR) involving a number of strand displacement reactions in parallel and cascade, highlighting its broad utility throughout DNA-based programs of various complexity. This work presents a flexible strategy to boost the effectivity of toehold-mediated DNA nanodevices, facilitating versatile design and broader purposes.
