Switching the conformation of a DNA molecule with a chemical oscillator.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 16218705.
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Abstract
pH oscillations generated by a nonequilibrium chemical reaction are used to switch a pH-sensitive DNA structure between two distinct conformations. The utilization of a chemical oscillator represents a novel method for achieving autonomous motion in molecular devices. The oscillatory reaction is a variant of the Landolt reaction and produces pH variations in the range between pH 5 and 7. In this range, a cytosine-rich DNA strand can be switched between a random coil conformation and the folded i-motif structure. The conformational changes are monitored simultaneously with the pH value in fluorescence-resonance energy-transfer experiments.
Medical subject headings
- Cytosine
- DNA