Cerium(IV)-oligoDNA hybrid as highly selective artificial nuclease1

Abstract
Cerium(IV) ion is attached to the 5′-end of a 19-mer DNA by use of iminodiacetate ligand. At pH 7.2 and 30 °C, the hybrid selectively cuts a 40-mer DNA, which has 19-mer sequence complementary with the DNA in the hybrid, at the target site (the 3′-side of the 19-mer portion of the substrate DNA). Cerium(IV) ion hydrolyzes thymidylyl(3′-5′)thymidine to thymidine without concurrent oxidative cleavage of the ribose, indicating that the selective scission by the hybrid proceeds via the hydrolysis of the phosphodiester linkage.