Cover Picture: DNAzyme‐Like Activity of Hemin–Telomeric G‐Quadruplexes for the Optical Analysis of Telomerase and its Inhibitors (ChemBioChem 17/2010)

Abstract

The cover picture shows the self-assembly of telomere chains, generated by telomerase-containing human embryonic kidney cancer cells (293T), into hemin/G-quadruplex structures. The hemin/G-quadruplex units act as catalysts for the H2O2-mediated oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to the colored product, TMB.+, λ=650 nm. The biocatalytic process enables the detection of telomerase activity originating from 200 293T cells per mL. The process also enables the probing of inhibitors for telomerase activity. The transformation of the telomeres into the hemin/G-quadruplex chains is followed at a single-molecule level. For more information see the communication by I. Willner et al. on p. 2362 ff.