title: Detection and automatic repair of nucleotide base-pair mutations by coherent light.
abstract: We show that phase-coherent optical techniques allow for the detection and automatic repair of mutations in nucleotide pairs. We demonstrate computationally that there is a laser pulse sequence that can detect the occurrence of a mutation caused by a double proton transfer between hydrogen-bonded nucleotide pairs and automatically repair it by converting the mutated nucleotide pair to the nonmutated one. The specific system chosen for this demonstration is the hydrogen-bonded 2-pyridone.2-hydroxypyridine dimer at typical internucleotide distances, a well-established model for tautomeric acid base pairs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T1Z1, Canada. ioannis@chem.ubc.ca
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Thanopulos
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shapiro
mesh_terms: D020029:Base Pairing / Q000528:radiation effects*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004260:DNA Repair; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008027:Light; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009154:Mutation / Q000528:radiation effects*; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects*; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D011522:Protons
chemical_list: D009711:Nucleotides; D011522:Protons; D004247:DNA