Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
Cell Chem Biol. 2016 Jan 21;23(1):183-197. doi: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2015.11.010.
The DNA double helix has captured the imagination of many, bringing it to the forefront of biological research. DNA has unique features that extend our interest into areas of chemistry, physics, material science, and engineering. Our laboratory has focused on studies of DNA charge transport (CT), wherein charges can efficiently travel long molecular distances through the DNA helix while maintaining an exquisite sensitivity to base pair π-stacking. Because DNA CT chemistry reports on the integrity of the DNA duplex, this property may be exploited to develop electrochemical devices to detect DNA lesions and DNA-binding proteins. Furthermore, studies now indicate that DNA CT may also be used in the cell by, for example, DNA repair proteins, as a cellular diagnostic, in order to scan the genome to localize efficiently to damage sites. In this review, we describe this evolution of DNA CT chemistry from the discovery of fundamental chemical principles to applications in diagnostic strategies and possible roles in biology.
DNA 双螺旋结构吸引了许多人的想象力，使其成为生物研究的前沿领域。DNA 具有独特的特性，将我们的兴趣延伸到化学、物理、材料科学和工程领域。我们的实验室专注于 DNA 电荷传输 (CT) 的研究，其中电荷可以通过 DNA 螺旋有效地长距离传输，同时保持对碱基对π堆积的极高敏感性。由于 DNA CT 化学报告 DNA 双链体的完整性，因此可以利用这种特性来开发电化学设备来检测 DNA 损伤和 DNA 结合蛋白。此外，研究表明，例如，DNA 修复蛋白也可以在细胞中使用 DNA CT，作为一种细胞诊断方法，以便有效地扫描基因组以定位损伤部位。在这篇综述中，我们描述了 DNA CT 化学从发现基本化学原理到应用于诊断策略以及在生物学中可能的作用的演变。
