title: Cross-linked nucleic acids: isolation, structure, and biological role.
abstract: This review includes literature data on main types of reagents inducing covalent cross-links of nucleic acids. Reactivity of cross-linking agents, preferable sites for their binding, and methods for determination of location of cross-links in duplex are discussed. Biological responses of cells to cross-linking in nucleic acids, i.e. replication and transcription blocking, onset of repair processes, and apoptotic cell death are considered, as well as application of cross-linking reagents as medicinal drugs for solving molecular-biological problems.
authors.affiliation: Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. eva@mx.ibch.ru
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Efimov
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Fedyunin
mesh_terms: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D009696:Nucleic Acids