Autocatalysis, a self-sustained replication process where at least one of the products functions as a catalyst, plays a pivotal role in life's evolution, from genome duplication to the emergence of autocatalytic subnetworks in cell division and metabolism. Leveraging their programmability, controllability, and rich functionalities, DNA molecules have become a cornerstone for engineering autocatalytic circuits, driving diverse technological applications. In this tutorial review, we offer a comprehensive survey of recent advances in engineering autocatalytic DNA circuits and their practical implementations. We delve into the fundamental principles underlying the construction of these circuits, highlighting their reliance on DNAzyme biocatalysis, enzymatic catalysis, and dynamic hybridization assembly. The discussed autocatalytic DNA circuitry techniques have revolutionized ultrasensitive sensing of biologically significant molecules, encompassing genomic DNAs, RNAs, viruses, and proteins. Furthermore, the amplicons produced by these circuits serve as building blocks for higher-order DNA nanostructures, facilitating biomimetic behaviors such as high-performance intracellular bioimaging and precise algorithmic assembly. We summarize these applications and extensively address the current challenges, potential solutions, and future trajectories of autocatalytic DNA circuits. This review promises novel insights into the advancement and practical utilization of autocatalytic DNA circuits across bioanalysis, biomedicine, and biomimetics.

中文翻译：

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自催化 DNA 回路


自催化是一种自我维持的复制过程，其中至少一种产物起催化剂的作用，在生命进化中起着关键作用，从基因组复制到细胞分裂和新陈代谢中自催化子网络的出现。利用其可编程性、可控性和丰富的功能，DNA 分子已成为设计自催化回路的基石，推动了各种技术应用。在本教程回顾中，我们全面介绍了工程自催化 DNA 电路及其实际实施的最新进展。我们深入研究了这些回路构建的基本原理，强调了它们对 DNAzyme 生物催化、酶催化和动态杂交组装的依赖。所讨论的自催化 DNA 电路技术彻底改变了对具有生物学意义的分子（包括基因组 DNA、RNA、病毒和蛋白质）的超灵敏传感。此外，这些电路产生的扩增子作为高阶 DNA 纳米结构的构建块，促进了仿生行为，例如高性能细胞内生物成像和精确的算法组装。我们总结了这些应用，并广泛讨论了自催化 DNA 回路的当前挑战、潜在解决方案和未来轨迹。这篇综述有望为自催化 DNA 回路在生物分析、生物医学和仿生学中的进步和实际应用提供新的见解。