Regulation of photosensitisation processes by an RNA aptamer.

ABSTRACT: One of the most powerful attributes of proteins is their ability to bind to and modulate the chemistry of cofactors and prosthetic groups. Here, we demonstrated the ability of an artificial nucleic acid (an aptamer) to similarly control the functionality of a non-biological element. Specifically, we selected an RNA aptamer that binds tris(bipyridine) ruthenium (II), Ru(bpy)₃²⁺, an inorganic complex that has attracted intense interest due to its photoredox chemistry, including its ability to split water by visible light. We found that a newly discovered aptamer strongly and enantioselectively binds Λ-Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ (K_d = 65 nM) and, in doing so, selectively suppresses deactivation via energy transfer, thereby elongating the lifetime of its

SUBMITTER: Thoa TT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5324105 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature