title: Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy of an Artificial DNA Duplex Comprising a Silver(I)-Mediated Base Pair.
abstract: Single-molecule force spectroscopy measurements of a DNA duplex comprising an artificial metal-mediated base pair are reported. The measurements reveal that DNA duplexes comprising one central imidazole:imidazole mispair rupture at lower forces than a related duplex with canonical base pairs only. In contrast, DNA duplexes with one central imidazole-Ag(+)-imidazole base pair (formed by the addition of Ag(+) to the aforementioned duplex with the mispair) rupture at higher forces. These measurements indicate for the first time that the increase in thermal stability of a nucleic acid duplex that is observed upon the formation of a metal-mediated base pair is accompanied by a concomitant mechanical stabilization. In fact, the mechanical stabilization even exceeds the thermal one. This result indicates that nucleic acids with metal-mediated base pairs should be ideal building blocks for rigid functionalized DNA nano-objects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xinxin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster , Corrensstr. 28/30, 48149 Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Litau
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster , Corrensstr. 28/30, 48149 Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D020029:Base Pairing; D004247:DNA / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000737:chemistry*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007093:Imidazoles; D012834:Silver; C029899:imidazole; D004247:DNA