Electrochemical DNA Sensors for Detection of DNA Damage.docVIP

Sensors 2005, 5, 377-393 sensors ISSN 1424-8220 ? 2005 by MDPI t/sensors Mini-Review Electrochemical DNA Sensors for Detection of DNA Damage Victor Constantin Diculescu, Ana-Maria Chiorcea Paquim and Ana Maria Oliveira Brett* Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed, e-mail: brett@ ci.uc.pt Received: 3 February 2005 / Accepted: 14 March 2005 / Published: 14 November 2005 Abstract: Electrochemical devices have received particular attention due to their rapid detection and great sensitivity for the evaluation of DNA-hazard compounds interaction mechanisms. Several types of bioanalytical method use nucleic acids probes to detect DNA damage. This article reviews current directions and strategies in the development and applications of electrochemical DNA sensors for the detection of DNA damage. Keywords: DNA-electrochemical biosensor, DNA damage, damage to DNA bases, oxidative stress, biomarker of DNA damage, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroxguanine (8-oxoGua), 8- oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodGuo). 1. Overview Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a very important biomolecule that has an essential role in the determination of hereditary characteristics, storing the genetic information necessary for the replication of living organisms. Due to its important chemical and biophysical properties, DNA has been the subject of many physical and chemical investigations, leading to the discovery of the genetic code, and more recently to genome sequencing. One of the most important results of the human genome-sequencing project is  Sensors 2005, 5 378 the identification of point mutations and their correlation with pathologies such as cancer. As carrier of genetic information, DNA is a major target for drug interaction. Many compounds bind and interact wit