Mechanism and site of attack for direct damage to DNA by low-energy electrons.
We report results on the desorption of OH- induced by 0-19 eV electrons incident on self-assembled monolayer films made of single and double DNA strands of different orientations with respect to a gold substrate. Such measurements make it possible to deduce the mechanism and site of OH- formation within a biomolecule as complex as DNA. This type of damage is attributed to dissociative electron attachment to the phosphate group of DNA, when it contains the counterion H+.
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Group in the Radiation Sciences, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
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D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D004583:Electrons
D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004247:DNA