Zinc fingers and oxidative DNA damage

In summary, scientists are closing in on techniques that could let them safely repair almost any defective gene in a patient, opening the door for the first time to treatments for a range of genetic disorders that are now considered incurable. The breakthrough, announced in the journal Nature in June, relies on so-called zinc fingers, named after wispy amino acid protuberances that emanate from a single zinc ion. When inserted into human cells, the fingers automatically bind to miscoded strands of DNA, spurring the body's innate repair mechanism to recode the problem area with the correct gene sequence.
  • #1
bioquest
319
0
Can zinc fingers be used to solve the oxidative DNA damage problem? theoretically?
Scientists are closing in on techniques that could let them safely repair almost any defective gene in a patient, opening the door for the first time to treatments for a range of genetic disorders that are now considered incurable.
The breakthrough, announced in the journal Nature in June, relies on so-called zinc fingers, named after wispy amino acid protuberances that emanate from a single zinc ion. When inserted into human cells, the fingers automatically bind to miscoded strands of DNA, spurring the body's innate repair mechanism to recode the problem area with the correct gene sequence.
"By attaching zinc fingers which determine where transcription factors bind to endonuclease, which break DNA strands, homologous recombination can be induced to correct & replace defective/undesired DNA sequences"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Biology news on Phys.org
  • #2
This is from http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2005/07/68019 except for the last quote I need to find out where I got the last quote from. I don't see the edit button sorry I forgot about the copyright rule
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #3
bioquest said:
This is from http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2005/07/68019 except for the last quote I need to find out where I got the last quote from. I don't see the edit button sorry I forgot about the copyright rule

I just shortened the quoted part above now that you have provided the link to the full article for people to follow.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #4
Okay...do you think zinc fingers could make it so that oxidative DNA damage is no longer a problem, though?
 
  • #5
I mean if they were used for gene correction, *could* zinc fingers solve the oxidative DNA damage problem? why/why not?
 
  • #6
I mean could nanoparticles or something be used to help the zinc fingers target genes?
 
  • #7
Would zinc fingers only help with fixing DNA through homologous recombination?
 
  • #8
Um ignore all my other questions but I did have these so if you answered them that would be appreciated

Could non-enzymatic DNA repair (In combination with overexpressed DNA damage enzymes or something) solve the oxidative DNA damage problem? Why/why not?

Also is phenylpropanoid glycoside enzymatic or non enzymatic DNA repair?

And does DNA repair that's not in non-homologous places always require healthy undamaged DNA to be able to fix oxidative damage?
 
  • #9
What repairs the DNA when an incorrect base is inserted? Is there something that can/will always be used to do that ie if it's overexpressed or something?
 
  • #10
it won't let me edit, but

I thought they made nanochips or something that allow you to look inside cells? Could you look inside the cells, and as a result be able to correct bases that are incorrect in cells?
 
  • #11
This is my only question, you can ignore all the other ones, sorry I can't delete the other ones

Would there be a way to overexpress DNA repair enzymes to solve the oxidative DNA problem (or solve it as much as possible) in a way that wouldn't result in more problems with mismatched bases as a result of that?

Could binding ligands here http://old.iupac.org/news/prize/2002/sando.html be used to directly repair DNA? Could mismatch binding ligands here recognize mismatched bases better than our own natural enzymes in any way, hypothetically, if so in what ways? thanks
 
  • #12
never mind the question about the ligands my question is just about overexpression and mismatched bases (the questions in the above post) thanks I really appreciate the answer
 
  • #13
bioquest said:
Would there be a way to overexpress DNA repair enzymes to solve the oxidative DNA problem (or solve it as much as possible) in a way that wouldn't result in more problems with mismatched bases as a result of that?

Possibly. Even if it's achieved under laboratory conditions, it's not quite the same as bringing a therapeutic product to market which needs to be validated for regular use in humans.

It's hard to say without more research and testing. Has there been any followup work by the authors and/or company mentioned in the article?
 
  • #14
I don't remember where I read that overexpressing DNA damage repair enzymes causes a higher amount of mismatched bases but my perception at the moment is that they do
 

Related to Zinc fingers and oxidative DNA damage

1. What are zinc fingers?

Zinc fingers are small protein domains that are found in many proteins involved in DNA binding. They are composed of a zinc ion coordinated by two cysteine and two histidine amino acid residues. Zinc fingers are known for their ability to bind specific sequences of DNA and regulate gene expression.

2. How do zinc fingers protect against oxidative DNA damage?

Zinc fingers play a critical role in protecting against oxidative DNA damage by binding to and stabilizing DNA structures that are prone to damage. They can also recruit enzymes that repair oxidative damage and regulate gene expression to prevent further damage.

3. What is oxidative DNA damage?

Oxidative DNA damage is a type of damage that occurs to the DNA molecule due to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These ROS can cause modifications to the DNA structure and lead to mutations, which can have detrimental effects on cellular function and contribute to diseases like cancer.

4. How are zinc fingers involved in DNA repair?

Zinc fingers are involved in DNA repair by recruiting enzymes that are responsible for repairing oxidative DNA damage. They can also directly bind to damaged DNA structures and facilitate repair processes. Additionally, zinc finger proteins are involved in regulating gene expression to prevent further DNA damage.

5. Can zinc fingers be used for targeted gene editing?

Yes, zinc fingers have been utilized in gene editing techniques such as zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs). These tools use zinc fingers to specifically bind to and cut DNA at desired locations, allowing for precise gene editing and modification.

Similar threads

DNA Found to Have Impossible Telepathic Properties
    • Biology and Medical
Replies
2
Views
9K
DNA used to create self-assembling nano transistor
    • Biology and Medical
Replies
1
Views
4K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top