Patent ID: 8367815

Claim:
A method for designing a modular polynucleotide, the method comprising: (1) providing a modular actuator domain having one or more functional activities, wherein said modular actuator domain is not a ribozyme, (2) providing a modular sensor domain that detects concentration or status change of a ligand, wherein the modular sensor domain comprises an aptamer, and, (3) providing an information transmission domain between the modular actuator domain and the modular sensor domain, said information transmission domain comprising: (a) a general transmission region, (b) a switching strand, (c) a competing strand, wherein the switching strand and the competing strand are in a continuous sequence and compete to bind to the general transmission region through hybridization interactions, (4) designing the modular polynucleotide such that detection of the concentration or status change by the modular sensor domain favors a conformation change in the modular actuator domain; wherein said conformation change is mediated by a strand-displacement mechanism in the information transmission domain to favor the binding of the general transmission region to one of said switching strand and said competing strand; wherein said hybridization interactions are sufficient to allow said conformation change to occur by the strand-displacement mechanism; and, wherein said conformation change modulates said functional activities.