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Science 1 August 1997:
Vol. 277. no. 5326, pp. 673 - 676
DOI: 10.1126/science.277.5326.673
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Reports

Distance-Dependent Electron Transfer in DNA Hairpins

Frederick D. Lewis, * Taifeng Wu, Yifan Zhang, Robert L. Letsinger, Scott R. Greenfield, Michael R. Wasielewski

The distance dependence of photoinduced electron transfer in duplex DNA was determined for a family of synthetic DNA hairpins in which a stilbene dicarboxamide forms a bridge connecting two oligonucleotide arms. Investigation of the fluorescence and transient absorption spectra of these hairpins established that no photoinduced electron transfer occurs for a hairpin that has six deoxyadenosine-deoxythymidine base pairs. However, the introduction of a single deoxyguanosine-deoxycytidine base pair resulted in distance-dependent fluorescence quenching and the formation of the stilbene anion radical. Kinetic analysis suggests that duplex DNA is somewhat more effective than proteins as a medium for electron transfer but that it does not function as a molecular wire.

F. D. Lewis, T. Wu, Y. Zhang, R. L. Letsinger, Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
S. R. Greenfield, Chemistry Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
M. R. Wasielewski, Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, and Chemistry Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: lewis{at}chem.nwu.edu

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