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Updated: Feb 10, 2026

Stimulation of Cytoplasmic DNA Sensing Pathways In Vitro and In Vivo
Published on: September 18, 2014
Sensing DNA through DNA Charge Transport
Theodore J Zwang1, Edmund C M Tse1, Jacqueline K Barton1
1Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , California Institute of Technology , Pasadena , California 91125 , United States.
Abstract:
DNA charge transport chemistry involves the migration of charge over long molecular distances through the aromatic base pair stack within the DNA helix. This migration depends upon the intimate coupling of bases stacked one with another, and hence any perturbation in that stacking, through base modifications or protein binding, can be sensed electrically. In this review, we describe the many ways DNA charge transport chemistry has been utilized to sense changes in DNA, including the presence of lesions, mismatches, DNA-binding proteins, protein activity, and even reactions under weak magnetic fields. Charge transport chemistry is remarkable in its ability to sense the integrity of DNA.
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