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Updated: Jul 31, 2026

Atomic Force Microscopy Investigations of DNA Lesion Recognition in Nucleotide Excision Repair
Published on: May 24, 2017
Consecutive adenine sequences are potential targets in photosensitized DNA damage
Kiyohiko Kawai1, Yasuko Osakada, Mamoru Fujitsuka
1The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN), Osaka University, Ibaraki, Japan. kiyohiko@sanken.osaka-u.ac.jp
Abstract:
Based on direct spectroscopic measurements of hole transfer in DNA and quantification of the yield of DNA oxidative damage, consecutive adenine sequences were found to be a good launching site for photosensitizers to inject a hole in DNA, where the following rapid hole transfer between adenines causes a long-lived charge-separated state leading to DNA oxidative damage. According to the results, the essential requisites for an efficient and/or harmful photosensitizer are determined as follows: to be able to oxidize adenine to trigger hole transfer between adenines, and react rapidly with molecular oxygen following its reduction, avoiding charge recombination and making the reaction irreversible. These results will greatly help us to classify photosensitizers harmful to human health, and to design an improved photosensitizer for biochemical applications.
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