Testing of thiol-terminated oligonucleotides as potential DNA-cleaving reagents

In this study the authors have conducted experiments to determine if oligonucleotides containing terminal thiol groups can be used, in the presence of Cu+2, to cut single- and double-stranded DNA molecules adjacent to the oligonucleotide binding site. The results of these experiments demonstrate that these modified oligonucleotides cleave DNA in the presence of Cu+2, but the reaction could not be controlled sufficiently to attain site-selective cleavage or minimize degradation of the thiol terminated oligonucleotide