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Photochemical Approach to Probing Different DNA Structures
Author(s) -
Xu Yan,
Sugiyama Hiroshi
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.200501962
Subject(s) - dna , chemistry , dna damage , biophysics , uracil , dna replication , protein–dna interaction , dna repair , gene , biology , biochemistry , dna binding protein , transcription factor
The various conformations of DNA—the A, B, and Z forms, the protein‐induced DNA kink, and the G‐quartet form—are thought to play important biological roles in processes such as DNA replication, gene expression and regulation, and the repair of DNA damage. The investigation of local DNA conformational changes associated with biological events is therefore essential for understanding the function of DNA. In this Minireview, we discuss the use of photochemical dehalogenation of 5‐halouracil‐containing DNA to probe the structure of DNA. Hydrogen abstraction by the resultant uracil‐5‐yl radicals is atom‐specific and highly dependent on the structure of the DNA, suggesting that this photochemical approach could be applied as a probe of DNA conformations in living cells.