title: Progress in artificial metallonucleases.
abstract: The development of synthetic agents able to hydrolytically cleave DNA with high efficiency and selectivity is still a fascinating challenge. Over the years, many examples have been reported reproducing part of the behaviour of the corresponding natural enzymes. Eventually, even the possibility to apply such systems to the manipulation of DNA of higher organisms has been demonstrated. However, efficiency of enzymes is still unrivalled. This feature article discusses the progress reported toward the realization of synthetic nucleases with particular attention to the comprehension of the reaction mechanisms and to the strategies that need to be addressed to obtain more efficient systems.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Padova, via Marzolo 1, I -35131 Padova, Italy. fabrizio.mancin@unipd.it
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mancin
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scrimin
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tecilla
mesh_terms: D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D002384:Catalysis; D056831:Coordination Complexes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D053837:DNA Cleavage; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
chemical_list: D056831:Coordination Complexes; D008670:Metals; D004247:DNA; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases