Enriching adenosine by thymine-rich DNA oligomers

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Adenosine plays vital roles in physiological and pathological processes.
• Accurate detection of adenosine is challenging due to complex biological matrices.
• Existing methods for adenosine detection and separation face limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for enriching adenosine using DNA oligomers.
• To investigate the influence of DNA secondary structures on adenosine binding affinity.
• To assess the potential of thymine-rich DNA for adenosine separation and purification.

Main Methods:

• Design and synthesis of thymine-rich DNA oligomers with varying secondary structures.
• Characterization of adenosine binding affinity (Kd) using techniques like surface plasmon resonance.
• Evaluation of DNA conformational changes upon adenosine binding.
• Assessment of DNA's ability to suppress adenine precipitation.

Main Results:

• Thymine-rich DNA oligomers showed varying binding affinities to adenosine (Kd range: 1.25–5.0 mM).
• A clamped DNA hairpin structure exhibited the highest binding affinity for adenosine.
• The clamped DNA hairpin structure displayed minimal conformational changes during adenosine binding.
• These DNA oligomers effectively suppressed the precipitation of supersaturated adenine.

Conclusions:

• Thymine-rich DNA oligomers represent a promising tool for adenosine enrichment and separation.
• DNA secondary structure significantly impacts binding affinity and selectivity for adenosine.
• The clamped DNA hairpin design offers a stable and effective platform for adenosine capture.