Cutting DNA and RNA

Abstract

The best known application of rare earths, which is related to living organisms, is the remarkably effective contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging. This chapter shows that site-selective cutting (scission or hydrolysis) of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) is the next big use for lanthanides in genetic engineering. Both DNA and RNA are biological polymers that store genetic information and pass it on via synthesis of protein molecules. Future biotechnology may well rely on the use of rare-earth ions as unique catalysts that can slice DNA and RNA in order to allow their reprogramming, and thus lead to more effective bioengineered processes. The chapter begins with a historical overview of how the catalytic effect of Ce 4+ in the hydrolysis of DNA was discovered, and then gives the current state-of-the-art in understanding the hydrolysis mechanism. Similarly, it describes the catalytic effect of lanthanide ions in hydrolysis of RNA, followed by a review of various strategies that can be employed to improve site-selectivity in the hydrolysis of both DNA and RNA.