Assemblage of Signaling DNA Enzymes with Intriguing Metal-Ion Specificities and pH Dependences

We report a group of new DNA enzymes that possess a synchronized RNA-cleavage/fluorescence-signaling ability and exhibit wide-ranging metal-ion and pH dependences. These DNA catalysts were derived from a random-sequence DNA pool in a two-stage process: (1) establishment of a catalytic DNA population through repetitive rounds of in vitro selection at pH 4.0, and (2) sequence-diversification and catalytic-activity optimization through five …