Highly selective and sensitive template-directed photoligation of DNA via 5-carbamoylvinyl-2'-deoxycytidine

Oligonucleotide-templated reactions for sensing nucleic acids

Oligonucleotide-templated reactions are useful for applying nucleic acid sensing. Various chemistries for oligonucleotide-templated reaction have been reported so far. Major scientific interests are focused on the development of signal amplification systems and signal generation systems. We introduce the recent advances of oligonucleotide-templated reaction in consideration of the above two points.

Template directed reversible photochemical ligation of oligodeoxynucleotides

We demonstrated that 5-vinyldeoxyuridine ((V)U) and 5-carboxyvinyldeoxyuridine ((CV)U) can be used to photoligate a longer oligonucleotide (ODN) from smaller ODNs on a template. By performing irradiation at 366 nm, these artificial nucleotides make photoligated ODNs with high efficiency without any side reactions. Moreover, by performing irradiation at 312 nm, these photoligated ODNs were reversed to the original ODN. (V)U needs to be irradiated 366 nm for 6 h, but (CV)U needs to be irradiated at 366 nm for 15 min. Finally, we made a self-assembled structure with an ODN containing (CV)U and observed the photoligated ODN by photoirradiation.

Control of the photocatalytic activity of bimetallic complexes of pyropheophorbide-a by nucleic acids

Photocatalytic activity of a photosensitizer (PS) in an oligodeoxyribonucleotide duplex 5'-PS~ODN1/ODN2~Q-3' is inhibited because of close proximity of a quencher Q. The ODN2 in this duplex is selected to be longer than the ODN1. Therefore, in the presence of a nucleic acid (analyte), which is fully complementary to the ODN2 strand, the duplex is decomposed with formation of an analyte/ODN2~Q duplex and a catalytically active, single stranded PS~ODN1. In this way the catalytic activity of the PS can be controlled by the specific nucleic acids. We applied this reaction earlier for the amplified detection of ribonucleic acids in live cells (Arian, D.; Cló, E.; Gothelf, K.; Mokhir, A. Chem.-Eur. J.2010, 16(1), 288). As a photosensitizer (PS) we used In(3+)(pyropheophorbide-a)chloride and as a quencher (Q)--Black-Hole-Quencher-3 (BHQ-3). The In(3+) complex is a highly active photocatalyst in aqueous solution. However, it can coordinate additional ligands containing thiols (e.g., proteins, peptides, and aminoacids), that modulate properties of the complex itself and of the corresponding bio- molecules. These possible interactions can lead to undesired side effects of nucleic acid controlled photocatalysts (PS~ODN1/ODN2∼Q) in live cells. In this work we explored the possibility to substitute the In(3+) complex for those ones of divalent metal ions, Zn(2+) and Pd(2+), which exhibit lower or no tendency to coordinate the fifth ligand. We found that one of the compounds tested (Pd(pyropheophorbide-a) is as potent and as stable photosensitizer as its In(3+) analogue, but does not coordinate additional ligands that makes it more suitable for cellular applications. When the Pd complex was introduced in the duplex PS~ODN1/ODN2~Q as a PS, its photocatalytic activity could be controlled by nucleic acids as efficiently as that of the corresponding In(3+) complex.

A nucleic acid-directed, red light-induced chemical reaction

The first nucleic acid-directed catalytic photochemical reaction that is induced by nontoxic red light was developed. This reaction is fast, high yielding, sequence specific, and enables one to functionalize an oligonucleotide.

SNP genotyping by DNA photoligation: application to SNP detection of genes from food crops

We describe a simple and inexpensive single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) typing method, using DNA photoligation with 5-carboxyvinyl-2'-deoxyuridine and two fluorophores. This SNP-typing method facilitates qualitative determination of genes from indica and japonica rice, and showed a high degree of single nucleotide specificity up to 10 000. This method can be used in the SNP typing of actual genomic DNA samples from food crops.

Sequence specific interstrand photocrosslinking for effective SNP typing

We describe a simple and inexpensive SNP typing method by using sequence specific interstrand photocrosslinking via p-carbamoylvinyl phenol nucleosides. Interstrand photocrosslinking showed a high degree of single nucleotide specificity as high as 10(3)-fold and more, and can be used in the diagnostic detection of DNA sequences.

Reversible photopadlocking on double-stranded DNA

We describe a highly efficient method for reversible photocircularization of oligonucleotide (ODN) on a double-stranded DNA template: 5-carboxyvinyl-2'-deoxyuridine-containing ODN was reversibly circularized around the target sequence of the double-stranded plasmid DNA resulting in formation of a catenated plasmid.

Highly sequence specific RNA terminal labeling by DNA photoligation

We report the nonenzymatic terminal labeling of oligoribonucleotide (ORN) by using template-directed photoligation through 5-carboxyvinyl-2'-deoxyuridine ((CV)U) with high selectivity.