Chemical Biotechnology in the Regulation of Non-canonical DNA Structures

The structures and properties of these non-canonical DNA are closely related to their biological functions. Due to their unique three-dimensional structures, small molecules can bind to them to stabilize or alter their structures, and are eventually able to regulate their biological functions. One of the most successful such small molecules is ds-diamminedichloroplat-inum(ii), or cisplatin, a commonly used anti-cancer drug. It can covalently bind to DNA molecules, forming a DNA-cisplatin adduct that eventually inhibits DNA synthesis. Therefore, exploring the small molecules that can interact with DNA, especially with non-canonical DNA molecules, is an effective route to anti-cancer drug discovery. 

In addition to small molecules, carbon materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene oxides (GO) also exhibit the ability to tune the structure of typieal helical DNA and non-canonical DNA structures due to their unique structural, chemical, and physical properties. Thus, their interaetions 

The use of single enzymes has been eommercialized for more than a half century for the production of fructose, ehemicals, and semi-synthetic antibiotics. The use of eell extracts for the produetion of high-value vaccines, vitamins, and proteins has been studied for the last two decades. Whole cells, especially microbes, have been utilized in the production of fermented food, beer, wines, drugs, chemicals, and so forth, to meet mankind s myriad needs for thousands of years. 

In vitro biosystems, also called synthetie pathway biotransformations, synthetic chemistry methodology approaehes, enzyme eoektails, synthetic cascade enzyme factories, synthetic cascade manufaeturing, synthetic biochemistry, and so on, are the in vitro assembly of a number of enzymes, which may be isolated from different organisms, and/or natural or biomi-metic coenzymes, for the production of desired produets that may not be produced by mierobes or abiotic catalysts. For example, non-food cellulose can be converted to synthetic starch catalyzed by easeade enzymes in an aqueous solution requiring neither energy input nor chemical consumption. 

In vitro biosystems for biomanufacturing feature several industrial production advantages over whole-cell-based biomanufacturing. High product yield is accomplished by the elimination of side reactions and no synthesis of eell mass fast volumetric productivity can be achieved due to the better mass transfer without the barrier of cell membranes easy produet separation ean be achieved without cell membranes enzymes usually tolerate toxins and solvents much better than whole cells because of a lack of labile cell membranes the reconstitution of synthetic enzymatic pathways can implement some non-natural reactions that could never occur in living cells the reaction equilibrium may be shifted in favor of the product formation through well-designed synthetic enzymatic pathways.  

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