Toward an RNaseA mimic: A DNAzyme with imidazoles and cationic amines

Site-specific RNA cleavage has received considerable attention over the years. Directed synthesis to append imidazoles or amines or both to oligonucleotides to target specific RNA cleavage represents an exciting avenue of research. However, to date catalysis by such synthetic constructs, particularly in terms of turnover, has been difficult to observe. This is the first report of a truly catalytic M2+-independent DNAzyme synthetically modified with imidazoles and cationic amines that would seem to mimic RNaseA. This work now demonstrates how synthetic organic chemistry, when merged with combinatorial selection, can result in a new class of DNAzymes that meets the ongoing synthetic challenges for developing relatively small biomimetic catalysts.