Site-selective scission of human genome by artificial restriction DNA cutter

摘要

By using an artificial restriction DNA cutter which is composed of Ce(IV)/EDTA and two pseudo-complementary peptide nucleic acid strands (pcPNAs), only one target site in the whole genome of human beings (one site in the X chromosome) was selectively hydrolyzed. The importance of man-made cutters for site-selective scission of DNA has been widely recognized, since they are necessary to manipulate genomic DNA which is hardly tractable with naturally occurring restriction enzymes. They are promising for versatile applications in molecular biology, biotechnology, therapy, and other areas.