Msp nanopores and uses thereof

1. A nucleic acid encoding a mutant Mycobacterium smegmatis porin (Msp) monomer, wherein the Msp monomer has at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein the mutant Msp monomer sequence comprises a mutation at one or more of the following positions: I68, S73, S116, P123 or V128, and wherein the mutant Msp monomer does not comprise a S73C mutation.

2. A nucleic acid sequence encoding a mutant single-chain Mycobacterium smegmatis porin (Msp), wherein the nucleic acid sequence comprises:

(a) a first and second nucleotide sequence, wherein the first nucleotide sequence encodes a first Msp monomer sequence and the second nucleotide sequence encodes a second Msp monomer sequence; and

(b) a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth nucleotide sequence or any subset thereof, wherein the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth nucleotide sequences encode a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth Msp monomer sequence, respectively, wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth nucleotide sequence or any subset thereof are arranged consecutively in the nucleic acid; and

(c) at least one ninth nucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid linker sequence, wherein the ninth nucleotide sequence is positioned between any two consecutive nucleotide sequences encoding Msp monomer sequences, wherein at least one of the first and second Msp monomer sequences is the mutant Msp monomer sequence of claim 1 .

3. The nucleic acid sequence of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first and second Msp monomer sequence further comprises:

(i) a mutation at one or more amino acid positions D118, D134 or E139;

(ii) a mutation at position 93;

(iii) and/or (iii) a mutation at position 90, position 91 or both positions 90 and 91.

4. The nucleic acid sequence of claim 3 , wherein the amino acid at position 91 or the amino acid at position 90 is substituted with arginine, lysine, histidine, glutamine, methionine, threonine, phenylalanine, tyrosine or tryptophan.

5. The nucleic acid sequence of claim 3 , wherein one or more of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth nucleotide sequence encode a mutant Msp monomer sequence comprising a mutation at one or more of the following positions: T83, N86, L88, I105, D90, D91, G92, D93 or A96.

6. The nucleic acid sequence of claim 5 , wherein the seventh nucleotide sequence encodes a mutant Msp monomer sequence comprising a mutation at one or more of the following positions: T83, N86, L88, I105, D90, D91, G92, D93 or A96.

7. The nucleic acid of claim 6 , wherein the first nucleotide sequence encodes a mutant Msp monomer comprising a mutation at positions D56, I68, S73, D118, D134 and E139.

8. The nucleic acid sequence of claim 7 , wherein each of the amino acids at positions D56, I68, S73, D118, a D134 and E139 of the mutant Msp monomer is substituted with lysine, arginine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyrosine or histidine.

9. A mutant Msp monomer encoded by the nucleic acid of claim 1 .

10. A mutant Msp encoded by the nucleic acid of claim 2 .

11. A vector comprising the nucleic acid of claim 1 .

12. A vector comprising the nucleic acid of claim 2 .

13. A mutant Msp comprising at least 1-15 monomers, wherein the mutant Msp comprises a first Msp monomer encoded by the nucleic acid sequence of claim 1 , and at least a second monomer comprising a mutation at one or more of the following positions: T83, N86, L88, I105, D90, D91, G92, D93 or A96.

14. A system comprising a single-chain Msp encoded by the nucleic acid of claim 2 , wherein the Msp has a vestibule and a constriction zone that define a tunnel, wherein the tunnel is positioned between a first conductive liquid medium and a second conductive liquid medium, wherein at least one conductive liquid medium comprises an analyte, and wherein the system is operative to detect the analyte, when the system is subjected to an electric field sufficient to translocate the analyte from one conductive liquid medium to the other.

15. A method for detecting the presence of an analyte, comprising:

a) applying an electric field sufficient to translocate an analyte from a first conductive medium to a second conductive medium in liquid communication through the mutant Msp of claim 2 ; and

b) measuring an ion current, wherein a reduction in the ion current indicates the presence of the analyte in the first medium.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the analyte is a polymer, optionally wherein the polymer is a protein, a peptide of a nucleic acid.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising identifying one or more units of the polymer.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein identifying one or more units of the polymer comprises comparing one or more blockades in the current pattern to one or more blockades in a current pattern obtained using a polymer having known units.