Hydrolysis of DNA and RNA through cooperation of two metal ions: a novel mimic of phosphoesterases.

The phosphodiester linkages in DNA and RNA are efficiently hydrolyzed through cooperation of the lanthanum(III) ion with the iron(III) or tin(IV) ion, although each of these metal ions exhibits poor activity. The conversion on the hydrolysis of adenylyl(3'-5')adenosine by the lanthanum(III)/iron(III) combination (10 mM each) at pH 7.0 and 50 degrees C for 5 min is 72 mol%, whereas the catalysis by the lanthanum or iron ion alone is only marginal. The activity of their combination in the hydrolysis of thymidyl(3'-5')thymidine is more than 15-fold greater than the sum of the activity of each of the two metal ions.