Recent Advances in Nucleic Acid Nanotechnology-Driven Artificial Transcriptional Components

Abstract

Transcriptional regulation is a core mechanism by which living systems achieve precise control over gene expression. With the rapid advances in synthetic biology and biomedicine, engineered artificial transcriptional components (aTCs) are demonstrating remarkable potential. Nucleic acid nanotechnology, with its exceptional programmability, spatiotemporal precision, and molecular-level controllability, has emerged as a powerful tool for achieving precise transcriptional regulation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the applications of nucleic acid nanotechnology in transcriptional regulation, with a particular focus on its unique advantages in modular design, dynamic responsiveness, and logic-based information processing. We analyze how nucleic acid nanotechnology enables the construction of aTCs and regulates transcriptional processes. Furthermore, we highlight representative applications in biological computation, intelligent biomanufacturing, and biosensing. Finally, we discuss the key challenges currently faced in this field and present perspectives on future opportunities and developments.