title: Electrochemically-driven large amplitude pH cycling for acid-base driven DNA denaturation and renaturation.
abstract: In this paper, we present an electrochemically driven large amplitude pH alteration method based on a serial electrolytic cell involving a hydrogen permeable bifacial working electrode such as Pd thin foil. The method allows solution pH to be changed periodically up to ±4~5 units without additional alteration of concentration and/or composition of the system. Application to the acid-base driven cyclic denaturation and renaturation of 290 bp DNA fragments is successfully demonstrated with in situ real-time UV spectroscopic characterization. Electrophoretic analysis confirms that the denaturation and renaturation processes are reversible without degradation of the DNA. The serial electrolytic cell based electrochemical pH alteration method presented in this work would promote investigations of a wide variety of potential-dependent processes and techniques.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces and Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Cong-Bin
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jian-Jia
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Ying-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Ru
authors.forename: Qiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Zhao-Bin
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Bing-Wei
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Zhao-Wu
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Tian
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D055162:Biocatalysis; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D009695:Nucleic Acid Renaturation; D010165:Palladium / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000143:Acids; D004798:Enzymes; D010165:Palladium; D004247:DNA