Reversible molecular switching of molecular beacon: controlling DNA hybridization kinetics and thermodynamics using mercury(ii) ions.
We report that the hydrogen-bonding pattern in a molecular beacon can be replaced by metal-dependent pairs of Hg(2+) and DNA thymine (T) bases. A molecular beacon based on T-Hg(2+)-T exhibits a lower background signal and higher thermostability than regular molecular beacons.
Yang
Ronghua
R
State Key Lab of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Biomedical Engineering Center, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsa, 410082, China. Yangrh@pku.edu.cn
Jin
Jianyu
J
Long
Liping
L
Wang
Yongxiang
Y
Wang
Hao
H
Tan
Weihong
W
D001483:Base Sequence; D015342:DNA Probes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D007700:Kinetics; D008628:Mercury / Q000737:chemistry*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization / Q000379:methods*; D013816:Thermodynamics; D013941:Thymine / Q000737:chemistry*
D015342:DNA Probes; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008628:Mercury; D013941:Thymine