title: Photochemical approach to probing different DNA structures.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
mesh_terms: D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation / Q000528:radiation effects; D010777:Photochemistry; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D006859:Hydrogen; D004247:DNA