Overview    |    Protein Modification Reactions    |    DNA Substrate Reactions    |    Small-Molecule Reactions    |    RNA Ligation    |    Funding

Catalysis of Small-Molecule and Other Reactions by DNA

Many deoxyribozyme substrates are oligonucleotides, which is sensible because DNA interacts strongly and selectively with oligonucleotides via Watson-Crick base pairing. Extending DNA catalysis to the realm of small-molecule substrates is a difficult challenge, but with great promise because of the experimental accessibility of deoxyribozymes via in vitro selection. In addition, reactions of non-oligonucleotide functional groups are also of great interest. For example, we have studied DNA catalysis of the Diels-Alder reaction, reaction of the phosphoramidate functional group, and reductive amination reactions. Our efforts with DNA catalysis of small-molecule and other reactions intersects strongly with our work on DNA-catalyzed protein modification reactions. For these important practical applications, an understanding of how to use small-molecule substrates and non-oligonucleotide functional groups with deoxyribozymes is key to expanding the utility of DNA catalysts.

Representative Publications

• "DNA-Catalyzed Glycosylation Using Aryl Glycoside Donors", A. R. Hesser, B. M. Brandsen, S. M. Walsh, P. Wang, and S. K. Silverman, Chem. Commun. 2016, 52, 9259-9262. [pdf] [Supp Info] [PubMed entry] [Correction]
• "A Modular Tyrosine Kinase Deoxyribozyme with Discrete Aptamer and Catalyst Domains", V. Dokukin and S. K. Silverman, Chem. Commun. 2014, 50, 9317-9320. [pdf] [Supp Info] [PubMed entry]
• "A Generalizable DNA-Catalyzed Approach to Peptide-Nucleic Acid Conjugation", C. Chu, O. Wong, and S. K. Silverman, ChemBioChem 2014, 15, 1905-1910. [pdf] [Supp Info] [PubMed entry]
• "DNA-Catalyzed Reductive Amination", O. Y. Wong, A. E. Mulcrone, and S. K. Silverman, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 11679-11684. [pdf] [Supp Info] [PubMed entry]
• "DNA-Catalyzed Reactivity of a Phosphoramidate Functional Group and Formation of an Unusual Pyrophosphoramidate Linkage", A. Sachdeva and S. K. Silverman, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2012, 10, 122-125. [pdf] [Supp Info] [PubMed entry]
• "DNA and RNA Can Be Equally Efficient Catalysts for Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation", M. Chandra and S. K. Silverman, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 2936-2937. [pdf] [Supp Info] [PubMed entry]