Publication Date:
1986-08-15
Description:
Chiral metal complexes provide unique molecular probes for DNA. Chiral reagents that "recognize" different local structures along the DNA strand have been designed by a process in which the asymmetry in shape and size of the complex is matched to that of the DNA helical groove. As a result, the chiral metal complexes provide very sensitive probes for local helical structure, both left- and right-handed. Direct coordination of chiral complexes to the DNA bases adds an element of sequence selectivity to the probe design. With a suitable reactive metal center, reagents that target chemically specific sites along the strand may be developed. One such chiral reagent, which cleaves left-handed DNA sites with photoactivation, has been useful in mapping this distinct conformation and examining its biological role. The conformation-specific molecular cleaver, much like a DNA-binding enzyme, recognizes and reacts at discrete sites along the DNA strand. These site-specific chiral metal complexes provide exciting new tools for probing the local variations in DNA structure and its role in the regulation of gene expression.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Barton, J K -- GM33309/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ -- New York, N.Y. -- Science. 1986 Aug 15;233(4765):727-34.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3016894" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉
Keywords:
Base Sequence
;
*DNA/genetics
;
Genes, Regulator
;
Intercalating Agents
;
*Metals
;
Models, Molecular
;
*Nucleic Acid Conformation
;
Plasmids
;
RNA, Messenger/genetics
;
Ruthenium
;
Simian virus 40/genetics
;
Transcription, Genetic
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
