Visualization of UV-Induced Damages on Single DNA Molecules

Single-molecule visualization of ROS-induced DNA damage in large DNA molecules.

We present a single molecule visualization approach for the quantitative analysis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced DNA damage, such as base oxidation and single stranded breaks in large DNA molecules. We utilized the Fenton reaction to generate DNA damage with subsequent enzymatic treatment using a mixture of three types of glycosylases to remove oxidized bases, and then fluorescent lab...

Visualization of Single Polyelectrolyte Molecules

INTRODUCTION The field of single molecule research offers possibilities to study physico-chemical processes at a level of single molecules and single molecule events, and to design surfaces and devices operating with single molecules. Most of our knowledge was collected from the study of ensembles of molecules when properties are averaged over large number of molecules. Single molecule study al...

Quantum Chemical Studies of Protein-Bound Chromophores, UV-Light Induced DNA Damages, and Lignin Formation

Visualization of Rad54, a chromatin remodeling protein, translocating on single DNA molecules.

Rad54 protein plays an important role in the recombinational repair of double-strand DNA (dsDNA) breaks. It is a dsDNA-dependent ATPase that belongs to the Swi2/Snf2 family of chromatin-remodeling proteins. Rad54 remodels (1) DNA structure, (2) chromatin structure, and (3) Rad51-dsDNA complexes. These abilities imply that Rad54 moves along DNA. Here, we provide direct evidence of Rad54 transloc...

Editorial: Radiation-induced and oxidative DNA damages

The study of DNA lesions and changes, produced by interaction with UV or ionizing radiation and by the effects of oxidative stress, is a multidisciplinary research field in life sciences that has yelded exciting discoveries in the last few decades. The importance of this study is clearly enhanced by its strong societal impact, because of the connections of DNA lesions with carcinogenetic proces...