Year of Award

2009

Document Type

Professional Paper

Degree Type

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Name

Chemistry

Department or School/College

Department of Chemistry

Committee Chair

Chris Palmer

Commitee Members

Bruce Bowler, Stephen Lodmell

Abstract

Aptamer science is a growing field of both chemistry and biochemistry. Aptamers bind to specific target molecules, potentially allowing for identification and quantification. The methodologies for selection of aptamers are growing and ever-changing. There is a number of different selection protocols, some specialized and others more general. All have their advantages and limitations. Here I describe a host of these protocols and relate them towards the selection of an aptamer for oxidative DNA lesions, specifically the oxidation products of guanine. Guanine has the lowest reduction potential of the four DNA bases, and as such is the most readily oxidized. The oxidation product 7,8-dihydro- 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) has been studied extensively over the last decade, but the further oxidation products Spiroiminohydantoin (Sp), Guanidinodihydantoin (Gh), and Iminoallantoin (la) are still largely unresearched. Aptamers for these products would prove to be invaluable diagnostic tools for the measurement of oxidative damage to DNA. Attempts to select aptamers toward these compounds are described, and recommendations for further attempts at aptamer selection are provided.

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© Copyright 2009 Brandon Lloyd James