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M Fojta

Publications and source records attributed to M Fojta.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

New approaches in the development of DNA sensors: hybridization and electrochemical detection of DNA and RNA at two different surfaces.

Up to now, the development of the electrochemical DNA hybridization sensors relied on solid electrodes, on which both the hybridization and detection steps have been performed. Here we propose a new method in which the DNA hybridization is performed at commercially available magnetic beads and electrochemical detection on detection electrodes (DE). Due to minimum nonspecific DNA adsorption at the magnetic beads, very high specificity of the DNA hybridization is achieved. Optimum DE can be chosen only with respect to the given electrode process. It is shown that high sensitivity and specificity in the detection of relatively long target DNAs can be obtained (a) by using cathodic stripping voltammetry at mercury or solid mercury amalgam DEs for the determination of purine bases, released from DNA by acid treatment, and (b) by enzyme-linked immunoassay of target DNA modified by osmium tetroxide,2,2'-bipyridine (Os,bipy) at carbon DEs. Direct determination of Os,bipy at mercury and carbon electrodes is also possible.

Biosensing Techniques↗
PubMed2000

Electrode potential-modulated cleavage of surface-confined DNA by hydroxyl radicals detected by an electrochemical biosensor.

Damage to DNA frequently involves interruption of DNA sugar-phosphate strands (strand breaks, sb). Under aerobic conditions, transition metal ions cause DNA damage through production of reactive oxygen species (frequently via Fenton-type reactions). Formation of sb in covalently closed supercoiled (sc) DNA can be detected using an electrochemical biosensor based on a scDNA-modified mercury electrode. By controlling the potential of the electrode, this technique can be employed in studies of redox reactions involved in formation of DNA strand breaks, and to detect species involved in these reactions. ScDNA anchored at HMDE was cleaved by catalytic amounts of iron/EDTA ions in the absence of chemical reductants when appropriate electrode potential (sufficiently negative to reduce [Fe(EDTA)]- to [Fe(EDTA)]2-) was applied. The process required oxygen or hydrogen peroxide. The extent of DNA damage increased with the shift of the electrode potential to negative values, displaying a sharp inflection point matching the potential of [Fe(EDTA)]2-/[Fe(EDTA)]- redox pair. In the absence of transition metal ions, significant DNA damage was observed at potentials sufficiently negative for reduction of dioxygen at the mercury electrode. This observation suggests cleavage of the surface-attached scDNA by radical intermediates of oxygen reduction at HMDE.

Biosensing Techniques↗
PubMed1999

Effect of p53 protein redox states on binding to supercoiled and linear DNA.

The binding of p53 to its DNA consensus sequence is modulated by the redox state of the protein in vitro. We have shown previously that reduced wild-type p53 binds strongly to supercoiled DNA (scDNA) regardless of the presence or absence of p53CON. Here we compare the effects of oxidation of p53 by azodicarboxylic acid bis[dimethylamide] (diamide) and other agents on p53 binding to p53CON and to scDNA. Oxidation decreases the binding of p53 to scDNA; however, under conditions where binding to p53CON in a DNA fragment is completely abolished, some residual binding to scDNA is still observed. Increasing the concentration of oxidized p53 confers minimal changes in p53 binding to both scDNA and p53CON. Reduction of the oxidized protein by dithiothreitol neither restores its binding to DNA nor to p53CON in DNA fragments. In the presence of excess zinc ions, oxidation of p53 is, however, reversible. We conclude that the irreversibility of p53 oxidation is due, at least in part, to the removal of intrinsic zinc from its position in the DNA binding domain accompanied by a conformational change of the p53 molecule after oxidation of the three cysteines to which the zinc ion is coordinated in the reduced protein.

DNA↗
PubMed1998

Electrochemical biosensors for DNA hybridization and DNA damage.

Recent trends in the development of DNA biosensors for nucleotide sequence-specific DNA hybridization and for the detection of the DNA damage are briefly reviewed. Changes in the redox signals of base residues in DNA immobilized at the surface of carbon or mercury electrodes can be used as a sign of the damage of DNA bases. Some compounds interacting with DNA can produce their own redox signals on binding to DNA. Covalently closed circular (usually supercoiled) DNA attached to the electrode surface can be used for a sensitive detection of a single break of the DNA sugar-phosphate backbone and for detection of agents cleaving the DNA backbone such as hydroxyl radicals, ionizing radiation, nucleases, etc. Using the peptide nucleic acid in the biosensor recognition layer greatly increased the specificity of the DNA hybridization biosensor making it possible to detect point mutations (single-base mismatches) in DNA.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Two superhelix density-dependent DNA transitions detected by changes in DNA adsorption/desorption behavior.

The adsorption behavior of covalently closed circular plasmid DNA at the mercury/water interface was studied by means of AC impedance measurements. The dependence of the differential capacitance (C) of the electrode double layer on the potential (E) was measured in the presence of adsorbed DNA. It was found that the C-E curves of supercoiled DNA at native and highly negative superhelix densities (sigma), relaxed covalently closed circular DNA, and nicked DNA differed from each other. A detailed study of topoisomer distributions ranging from -sigma of 0 to 0.11 revealed two supercoiling-dependent transitions, at about -sigma = 0.04 (transition TI) and 0.07 (transition TII). Transition TI was detected by measuring the height of the adsorption/desorption peak 1 (at about -1.2 V against the saturated calomel electrode) and the decrease of capacitance (DeltaC) at -0.35 V. This transition may be due to a sudden change in the ability of the DNA to respond to the alternating voltage, probably caused by changes in the DNA tertiary and/or secondary structure. Transition TII was detected by measuring peak 3* (at about -1.3 V), which was absent in topoisomers with -sigma less than 0.05. This transition is due to changes in the DNA adsorption/desorption behavior related to increased accessibility of bases at elevated negative superhelix density. Opening of the duplex at highly negative superhelix density was also detected by the single-strand selective probe of DNA structure, osmium tetroxide, 2, 2'-bipyridine. Our results suggest that electrochemical techniques provide sensitive experimental analysis of changes in DNA structure.

Adsorption↗
PubMed1997

Adsorption of peptide nucleic acid and DNA decamers at electrically charged surfaces.

Adsorption behavior of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) and DNA decamers (GTAGATCACT and the complementary sequence) on a mercury surface was studied by means of AC impedance measurements at a hanging mercury drop electrode. The nucleic acid was first attached to the electrode by adsorption from a 5-microliter drop of PNA (or DNA) solution, and the electrode with the adsorbed nucleic acid layer was then washed and immersed in the blank background electrolyte where the differential capacity C of the electrode double layer was measured as a function of the applied potential E. It was found that the adsorption behavior of the PNA with an electrically neutral backbone differs greatly from that of the DNA (with a negatively charged backbone), whereas the DNA-PNA hybrid shows intermediate behavior. At higher surface coverage PNA molecules associate at the surface, and the minimum value of C is shifted to negative potentials because of intermolecular interactions of PNA at the surface. Prolonged exposure of PNA to highly negative potentials does not result in PNA desorption, whereas almost all of the DNA is removed from the surface at these potentials. Adsorption of PNA decreases with increasing NaCl concentration in the range from 0 to 50 mM NaCl, in contrast to DNA, the adsorption of which increases under the same conditions.

Adsorption↗