DNA-mediated charge transport in DNA repair

Citation

Boal, Amie Kathleen (2008) DNA-mediated charge transport in DNA repair. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. http://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-06022008-092549

Abstract

The double-helical structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) imparts upon this important biological molecule both the ability to store genetic information within a cell and also the capacity to serve as medium for charge transport. DNA-mediated charge transport is now a very well-studied phenomenon but biological roles for these reactions have not been explored. It has been demonstrated that DNA-mediated charge transport can funnel oxidative DNA damage to sites of low oxidation potential in a number of biologically relevant environments ranging from reconstituted nucleosome core particles, to isolated nuclei and mitochondria from HeLa cells. DNA-mediated charge transport may also play a role in transcriptional activation or repression as modulated by redox-active transcription factors. Here we examine how DNA-mediated charge migration could also provide a pathway for protein-protein communication among DNA repair enzymes, a pathway that might serve as a scheme for rapid lesion detection inside the cell.

Thesis Files