The generation of the fluorescence of 3 is blocked upon
the addition of catalase, due to the decomposition of H O
2
2
(
Figure 1A, curve (g)). Nonetheless, the primary process of
+
oxidation of NADH to NAD should still proceed in the
presence of catalase. Indeed, this process was characterized
spectroscopically, by following the depletion of NADH
(Figure 1B). As the concentration of NADH increases the
DNAzyme-catalyzed oxidation of NADH is enhanced. It
should be noted that the hemin/G-quadruplex-catalyzed
oxidation of NADH proceeds, also, in the absence of
Amplex Red (2), while forming H O2 (cf. Figure 1B),
2
implying that the oxidation of NADH by O is independent
2
of Amplex Red. From the time-dependent depletion of
NADH at different concentrations of this cofactor, the values
À4 À1
À5
of kcat = (1.1 Æ 0.06) ꢀ 10
s
and K = (5.7 Æ 0.3) ꢀ 10 m for
m
the hemin/G-quadruplex NADH oxidase were calculated. For
comparison, the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) depen-
dent NADH oxidase exhibits k = 5.1 s and K = 4.1 ꢀ
À1
cat
m
À6
[11]
1
0
m.
controlled by the concentrations of NADH in the system
Figure 1C). As the concentration of NADH increases, the
Similarly, the fluorescence intensities of 3 are
(
time-dependent fluorescence intensities of 3 are intensified.
Figure 1C, inset, depicts the resulting calibration curve, which
demonstrates that at a concentration of NADH correspond-
À4
ing to 1 ꢀ 10 m the fluorescence changes of the catalytic
process reach a saturation value. Since the mechanism of the
hemin-catalyzed reductive activation of O to H O was
2
2
2
[
13]
extensively studied, we suggest the following sequence of
reactions, where NADH is the electron source, as the possible
route for the formation of H O (Scheme 1B). In this context
2
2
it should be noted that horseradish peroxidase, exhibiting
[14]
NADH oxidase functions, requires the ligation of the fifth
axial histidine ligand to generate the active site. Presumably,
the guanosine units in the G-quadruplex acts as a fifth
activating ligand of the hemin to generate the NADH oxidase
activity.
+
The regeneration of the NAD cofactor is a fundamental
+
+
process utilizing NAD -dependent enzymes and NAD -
[15]
dependent enzyme-driven biotransformations.
regeneration schemes that use secondary enzymes, electro-
Different
[16]
Figure 1. A) Time-dependent fluorescence changes as a result of the
catalyzed oxidation of Amplex Red (2) to resorufin (3) with: a) hemin/
G-quadruplex and 1 mm NADH, b) hemin/G-quadruplex, no NADH,
c) foreign DNA (4) in the presence of hemin and NADH, d) only
hemin in the presence of NADH, e) hemin/G-quadruplex under an
inert atmosphere, in the presence of NADH, f) in the presence of G-
quadruplex sequence (1) and NADH, but in the absence of hemin,
g) catalase, 38 U, was added to the system described in (a). B) Time-
dependent absorbance changes at 340 nm as a result of the catalyzed
oxidation of NADH by the hemin/G-quadruplex DNAzyme in the
presence of catalase (38 U) and various concentrations of NADH:
a) 1 mm, b) 0.5 mm, c) 0.1 mm, d) 0.01 mm. C) Time-dependent fluo-
rescence changes as a result of the catalyzed oxidation of Amplex Red
by the hemin/G-quadruplex DNAzyme in the presence of various
concentrations of NADH: a) 1 mm, b) 0.5 mm, c) 0.05 mm,
[17]
[18]
chemical processes,
or photochemical methods
have
+
been used to regenerate the NAD cofactor. One basic
limitation of this process involves the oxidation of the NADH
to the NADC radical, which dimerizes into the biologically
inactive substance (NAD) . Thus, for demonstrating the
2
ability of the hemin/G-quadruplex DNAzyme as a catalyst
for biotechnological applications it is essential to prove the
+
conversion of NADH into NAD , and the regeneration of the
cofactor within an enzyme-driven process. Toward this end,
the hemin/G-quadruplex DNAzyme system was coupled to
the alcohol dehydrogenase (AlcDH) catalyzed oxidation of
ethanol (Scheme 1A, frame II). In this system we place the
+
NAD cofactor as a primary component. The NADH
d) 0.01 mm, e) 0 mm. Inset: Derived calibration curve corresponding
to the fluorescence changes of 3 after 50 min, induced by the hemin/
G-quadruplex and NADH. All experiments were prepared in a HEPES
cofactor is generated through the alcohol dehydrogenase
+
mediated reduction of NAD by ethanol, and the resulting
+
NADH cofactor is recycled to NAD by the DNAzyme-
buffer solution, 5 mm, pH 7.2 in the presence of NH OAc, 300 mm,
4
catalyzed oxidation of NADH while forming H O . The
hemin, 1 mm, the G-quadruplex sequence 1 (or foreign DNA (4)),
2
2
1
mm, and Amplex Red (2), 100 mm (in Figure 1B, 2 was not added).
process is, then, monitored by the DNAzyme-catalyzed
generation of the fluorescence of 3. Figure 2A shows the
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 11710 –11714
ꢀ 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim