Cover Picture: Catalytic Molecular Logic Devices by DNAzyme Displacement (ChemBioChem 7/2014)

Abstract

The cover picture shows the mechanism of DNAzyme displacement required to control DNAzyme catalysis for the implementation of programmable molecular logic, as reported by D. Stefanovic, S. W. Graves et al. on . This approach combines the advantages of DNA strand displacement for programming reaction pathways with the inherent catalytic activity of DNAzymes for amplified fluorescent readout. Arbitrary input strand detection was achieved through the rational introduction of mismatched bases. Given the range of chemical reactions catalyzed by DNAzymes, this work offers a powerful mechanism for controlling a range of covalent chemical modifications by using DNA strand displacement. The image was produced with assistance from Kim Miller.