title: A supercoiled DNA-modified mercury electrode-based biosensor for the detection of DNA strand cleaving agents.
abstract: DNA-damaging agents in the environment represent a serious danger to human health. We use a supercoiled DNA-modified mercury electrode as a fast-response biosensor for the detection of DNA strand cleaving agents. The sensor is based on a strong difference between the a.c. voltammetric responses of covalently closed circular (supercoiled) and of open circular (nicked) plasmid DNA. We show that the sensor can detect hydroxyl radicals in laboratory-prepared solutions and in various natural and industrial water samples. The sensor is also capable of detecting unknown DNA-damaging agents in industrial waters.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Královopolská 135, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fojta
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stanková
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palecek
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koscielniak
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mitás