Photoregulation of the Formation and Dissociation of a DNA Duplex by Using the cis-trans Isomerization of Azobenzene.
The duplex-forming activity of an oligonucleotide has been photoregulated by making use of the isomerization of an azobenzene moiety in the side chain. When the azobenzene moiety is isomerized from the trans form to the cis form upon photoirradiation, the melting temperature of the duplex between the oligonucleotide and its complementary counterpart is significantly lowered, and the duplex is largely dissociated into two single-stranded oligonucleotides (shown schematically).
Asanuma
H
Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan).
Ito
T
Yoshida
T
Liang
X
Komiyama
M