Deoxyribonucleic acid and ribonucleic acid under physiological condition are polyanions composed of heterocyclic bases linked through sugar phosphate backbone. Due to Watson-Crick base pairing, DNA exists in double-helical form between two antiparallel strands of nucleic acid. Different conformations of DNA is possible among which the B-DNA form is considered to be the most common, and it is a right-handed double-helix with base pairs stacked at the center. There are two well-defined grooves termed as major and minor grooves, each has characteristic width and depth. Most of the DNA binding proteins generally approach DNA through the major groove, while small molecules such as drugs, antitumor antibiotics,1 their synthetic analogue,2 carcinogens,3 and the transition metal complexes4 interact with DNA through minor groove.
The nucleic acids function in the storage and transfer of genetic information. The function of cell expressions of proteins, synthesis of all bio-materials are directly or indirectly governed by the nucleic acid present in the body. Not only that, the origin of many diseases lie behind the structural modification or alterations in nucleic acids occur beyond our control.5 There are different drugs both natural and synthetic which are important in antibiotic chemotherapy, act against these diseases by interacting with DNA. Now to understand the actual mechanism of many diseases, how drugs interact with DNA and its specificity, binding sites of DNA, we need to develop molecules that modify or interact with biological molecules and such molecules can probe various structural aspects and type of interaction of macromolecular association complexes. One of such probe is the DNA cleaving agent. The potential scope of the utility of these compound is enormous and ranges from the creation of synthetic restriction enzymes for use by molecular biologists to the development of chemotherapeutic agents (Fe(BLM), calicheamicin) that may be effective against a variety of neoplastic diseases. They can also act as a structural probe (e.g. Fe(EDTA)2), drug / protein-DNA footprinting agent and affinity cleaving agent.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:IISc/oai:etd.ncsi.iisc.ernet.in:2005/260 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Ghosh, Sumana |
| Contributors | Bhattacharya, Santanu |
| Publisher | Indian Institute of Science |
| Source Sets | India Institute of Science |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis and Dissertation |
| Format | 1506013 bytes, application/pdf |
| Rights | I grant Indian Institute of Science the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in all forms of media, now hereafter known. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. |
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