Hydrolysis of DNA and RNA by lanthanide ions: mechanistic studies leading to
new applications
Makoto Komiyama,*a Naoya Takedaa and Hidemi Shigekawaba Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo,

Tokyo 113-8656 Japan. E-mail: mkomi@chembio.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp
b Institute of Applied Physics and Center for Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba,

Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573, Japan
Received (in Cambridge, UK) 1st March 1999, Accepted 20th April 1999

A few years ago, the remarkable catalytic activity of lanthanide
ions for the hydrolysis of nucleic acids was discovered. With
CeIV, DNA was hydrolysed under physiological conditions. For
RNA hydrolysis, the last three lanthanide ions (TmIII, YbIII, andLuIII) are superb. Furthermore, artificial restriction enzymes forsite-selective scission of DNA and RNA, essential tools for the
future biotechnology, have been prepared by using the lanthanide complexes. The present article emphasizes the mechanistic
aspects of the catalyses of these metal ions. Both DNA
hydrolysis and RNA hydrolysis involve the cooperation of acidcatalysis (by metal ion and/or metal-bound water) and basecatalysis (by metal-bound hydroxide). The magnitudes ofcontributions of these catalyses, as well as the positions where
they work, are primarily governed by the relative height of theenergy-barrier for the formation of the pentacoordinatedintermediate and that for its breakdown. The following
conclusions have been obtained on the basis of various kinetic
and spectroscopic evidence: (1) for the hydrolysis of both DNA
and RNA, the catalytically active species are dinuclear hydroxo-clusters, (2) CeIV enormously activates DNA and promotes the formation of the pentacoordinated intermediate, and(3) the catalysis for RNA hydrolysis is mainly ascribed to thepromotion of breakdown of the pentacoordinated intermediate.

Introduction
Non-enzymatic hydrolysis of DNA and RNA has attracted
much interest, mainly because it is essential for further
developments in biotechnology, molecular biology, therapy,
Professor Makoto Komiyama was born in 1947 in Utsunomiya,
Japan. After graduated from the University of Tokyo, he entered
the Graduate School of this University, where he got his Ph.D.
in 1975. After working in the USA as a postdoctoral fellow forProfessor Myron L. Bender at Northwestern University, he got
the position of Assistant Professor at the University of Tokyo in
1979. In 1987, he became an Associate Professor at the
University of Tsukuba, and, since 1992, has been a fullProfessor of the University of Tokyo. His research areas
involves bioorganic and bioinorganic chemistry (especially
DNA and RNA hydrolysis), host–guest chemistry (cyclodextrins), functional polymers, and others. He received Awards for
Young Scientists from the Chemical Society of Japan, the JapanIBM Science Award, an Award from the Rare Earth Society ofJapan, and the Inoue Prize for Science.
Dr Naoya Takeda was born in 1968 in Chiba, Japan. Following
his undergraduate education at the University of Tokyo, heobtained his Ph.D. from the University in 1998 under theand related fields.1 In current biotechnology, the DNA ofbacteria and viruses is manipulated using naturally-occurring
enzymes. In the near future, however, we must deal with the
DNA of higher animals and plants in order to widen the scopeof applications. Is the currently employed technology directly
applicable there? The answer is ‘No’. First, the genomes ofhigher species are so large that the sequence-specificity of therestriction enzymes found in nature is too low to cut them solely
at the desired site (most of them recognize a specific sequence
composed of 4 or 6 DNA-bases).2 Second, there are no natural
enzymes showing sufficient sequence-specificity in RNA
scission. Thus, artificial enzymes, which selectively hydrolyse
DNA and RNA at the target position with a desired specificity,
are crucially important. They may also be valuable tools fortherapy, regulation of cell-growth, and other applications.
In order to prepare these artificial enzymes, catalysts for thescission of DNA and RNA are necessary. However, thephosphodiester linkages in DNA are enormously stable, and(until recently) could not be hydrolysed without using natural
enzymes.3,4 Non-enzymatic hydrolysis of RNA was alsodifficult. Several years ago, however, the remarkable catalytic
activity of the lanthanide ions was discovered, and both DNA
and RNA were for the first time hydrolysed at reasonable rates
under physiological conditions.5–7 The CeIV ion is the mostactive for DNA hydrolysis,8,9 whereas TmIII, YbIII and LuIII (thelast three lanthanide ions) are quite effective for RNA
hydrolysis.10 The acceleration by these metal ions is as large as
108–1012 fold. Interestingly, these enormous activities are
restricted to the lanthanide ions. Furthermore, artificial enzymes
supervision of Professor M. Komiyama. After working as an
assistant staff member at the National Institute for Advanced
Interdisciplinary Research, he is currently doing his postdoctoral work as a JSPS Research Fellow at the University ofTokyo. His research interests include bioorganic and bioinorganic chemistry.
Professor Hidemi Shigekawa was born in 1955 in Hiroshima,
Japan. After graduated from the University of Tokyo, he entered
the Graduate School of the University, and got a position ofAssistant Professor there in 1980. After getting his Ph.D. in
1986, he worked at the Brook Haven National Laboratory(1987–1988) using the synchrotron radiation source, as a
Postdoctoral Fellow for Dr J. Rowe of Bell Labs. In 1989, hebecame a lecturer at the University of Tsukuba, and has been an
Associate Professor there since 1993. His main research is in
the field of surface science using scanning tunneling microscopy and related techniques. He was awarded the Paper Award
from the Surface Science Society of Japan in 1991 and 1998.
Chem. Commun., 1999, 1443–1451

1443

for site-selective scission of DNA and RNA were prepared by
conjugating the lanthanide complexes to DNA oligomers (thesequence-recognizing moieties) (Fig. 1).11,12 The DNA and
O O–
P
X
O
O

This paper focuses on the mechanistic aspects of thelanthanide catalysis for the hydrolysis of DNA and RNA. The
following points are clarified on the basis of various kinetic andspectroscopic evidence: (a) what are the catalytically active
species?, (b) where do the catalyses work in the course of thereactions?, and (c) why are the lanthanide ions highly active?
The mechanisms of the catalyses for DNA and RNA are
compared with each other, and also with those for the RNAhydrolysis by dinuclear complexes of non-lanthanide ions. The
conclusions obtained here should pave the way to the rational
design of still more active catalysts and also to versatile
applications of these novel catalyses.

3'

5'
DNA oligomer

X=
O

–O

(a)

IV
O Ce

–

O

–O

(b)
–O

N

H
N

LuIII

N

N

O

1 DNA hydrolysis by CeIV

6

O

6

O

1.1 Survey of the previous studies

O

The following features of CeIV-induced DNA hydrolysis havebeen already documented.9(1) The DNA scission proceeds totally via the hydrolysis ofphosphodiester linkages, without concurrent oxidative cleavageof the deoxyribose residues.
(2) At pH 7 and 50 °C, the half-life of the phosphodiester
linkage in DNA is reduced to a few hours. The acceleration by
CeIV is more than 1011 fold.
(3) The catalytically active species is formed from tetravalent
Ce ion(s).
(4) Molecular oxygen is not necessary for the catalysis. Only
when CeIII salts (e.g. CeCl3) are used as the catalysts, ismolecular oxygen required to oxidize CeIII to the catalytically
active CeIV.
(5) The rate of DNA hydrolysis is almost constant from pH 2
to pH 8.5.
(6) The nucleic acid bases do not directly participate in the
catalysis (the rate of DNA hydrolysis is almost independent ofthem).
(7) The reaction is accompanied by a notable D2O solvent
isotope effect (kH2O/kD2O = 2.2–2.4), showing a rate-limiting
proton-transfer.

(c)

N

N

N

O

N

OMe

3

DyIII
N

(d)

N
N

Me

N

N
EuIII

N

N
N

N

H

Me

H

1.2 The rate-limiting step for DNA hydrolysis
O

NThe hydrolysis of DNA proceeds as a two-step reaction (Fig. 2).
In the first step, a nucleophile (e.g. hydroxide ion) attacks thephosphorus atom, forming a pentacoordinated intermediate. In
the second step, the 5A-OH of 2A-deoxyribonucleotide isremoved from the phosphorus atom through the scission of the
P–O bond [in non-enzymatic hydrolysis, the P–O(3A) scission
can also take place]. In order to accelerate the whole reaction,
the catalysts must promote the rate-limiting step. Unfortunately,
however, it was not known which step is rate-limiting. Thus, theDNA analogues in Fig. 3, which possess better leaving groups

4

Fig. 1 Typical artificial enzymes for sequence-selective scission of (a) DNA
and (b)–(d) RNA.

RNA fragments, obtained via scission, can be transformed into
substrates for enzymatic manipulation. The synergy between
lanthanide catalysis and biotechnology is straightforward.13 A
new era is imminent.

O

B1

O

O

O

B1

O

k1

OH–

k2

O
–O

P

k–1

O

O

O

P

B2

–

O

O

O-

–O

O

O

P

+
HO

O

O

Fig. 2 The reaction pathway of DNA hydrolysis.

1444

Chem. Commun., 1999, 1443–1451

O

O–

B2

O

B1

O

O

HO

O

B2

than DNA, were prepared as probes, and their hydrolysis rates
were compared with the value for the native DNA.14
HO

T

O

HO

HO

O

O
O P

T

O

O–

O

T

T

O

(2) Alkaline hydrolysis. DNA is so stable that it is nothydrolysed at measurable rates even in highly alkaline solutions(e.g. in 1 M NaOH at 50 °C). Thus, the direct evaluation of the
shape of the energy diagram using the probes in Fig. 3 has been
unsuccessful.
However, the following argument shows that the energy
diagram is almost symmetric, with respect to the position of thepentacoordinated intermediate: see the dotted line in Fig. 4(a).
In the forward reaction of DNA hydrolysis, hydroxide ion is thenucleophile and the alkoxide ion of 5A-OH is the leaving group.
In the backward reaction, the hydroxide ion and the alkoxide ion
exchange positions. Since the pKas of the conjugate acids of thehydroxide ion and the alkoxide ion are almost the same, theirpotentials as nucleophiles and the leaving groups are comparable.

O
O–

O P
O

The trivalent lanthanide ions also hydrolyse DNA, although
the activities are far smaller ( > 103 fold) than that of CeIV. Here,the second step is also rate-limiting. In contrast, non-lanthanide
ions such as MgII, ZnII, CoII, AlIII, and FeIII show no measurable
catalysis under the same conditions.

O P

S

O

OH

OH

Tp-OT

Tp-ST

T

O–

O

CF3

Tp-OCH2CF3

Fig. 3 DNA analogues possessing better leaving groups, as the probes of therate-limiting step.

(1) CeIV-induced DNA hydrolysis. When the 5A-O atom of
the thymidine in thymidylyl(3A–5A)thymidine (Tp-OT) is replaced with an S atom (the leaving group is changed from T-O2
to T-S2), the dinucleotide analog (Tp-ST) is hydrolysed byCeIV around 1000 fold faster than is Tp-OT. The rate constants
are 1.7 3 101 and 2.0 3 1022 h21, respectively, when [CeIV]0= 10 mM at pH 7 and 30 °C. Similarly, the hydrolysis of TpOCH2CF3 is 75 fold faster than that of Tp-OT. The rate ofhydrolysis monotonically increases with decreasing pKa of theleaving group (the pKas of T-SH, CF3CH2OH, and T-OH arearound 11, 13, and 15, respectively). Apparently, the secondstep (the scission of the P–O bond) is rate-limiting [the energy
diagram is presented by the solid line in Fig. 4(a)]. If the firststep were to be rate-limiting, the analogues should behydrolysed at the same (or comparable) rate as Tp-OT.15
By using this result, the rate constant kobs for the overall
reaction in Fig. 2 is expressed by eqn. (1). The reaction involves
the pre-equilibrium formation of the pentacoordinated intermediate.
kobs = k1k2/k21

1.3 Which step is promoted by the CeIV ion?
The CeIV ion accelerates DNA hydrolysis by 1011 fold or more,
and thus the second step of the reaction must be promoted bythis magnitude [see the energy diagrams in Fig. 4(a)].
Nevertheless, this step still remains rate-limiting in the wholereaction. Apparently, the first step is also accelerated by the
CeIV ion to a similar (or greater) degree (otherwise, this stepshould become rate-limiting). The difference in the activation
free energies between these two steps is not large. The
pentacoordinated intermediate should also be stabilized by themetal ion.
As described later, the catalysis by CeIV is mainly ascribed tothe decrease in DG1, which is associated with the activation of
the DNA. Note that the decrease in DG1 necessarily lowers theheight of the second barrier (with respect to the initial state),since DG‡ = DG1 + DG2‡.

(1)
1.4 Catalytically active species for the DNA hydrolysis

Accordingly, the hydrolysis of DNA is accelerated by (a) the
increase in k2 (promotion of the second-step) and/or (b) the
increase in k1/k21 (stabilization of the pentacoordinated intermediate, with respect to the initial state). The activation freeenergy for the whole reaction (DG‡) is the sum of DG1 (thedifference between the initial state and the pentacoordinatedintermediate) and DG2‡ (the difference between the intermediate and the second-energy barrier).
(a) CeIV-induced DNA hydrolysis

The CeIV ions form complex metal hydroxide gels when the pH
is greater than 4. These heterogeneous systems are inappropriate for detailed kinetic analysis. However, it has beenfound that homogeneous mixtures can be obtained under highly
acidic conditions (pH < 2.5).16 Significantly, these mixtures
have almost the same catalytic activity as the metal hydroxidegel (the hydrolysis of single-stranded DNA at pH 2 is only a few(b) lanthanide(III)-induced RNA hydrolysis> 1011

G∆G2
105–106

Intermediate
∆G

108

∆G1
Hydrolytic
products
DNA

Reaction coordinate

RNAIntermediate

Hydrolytic
products

Reaction coordinate

Fig. 4 Energy diagrams for (a) CeIV-induced DNA hydrolysis and (b) lanthanide(iii)-induced RNA hydrolysis. The dotted lines show the diagrams for thecorresponding alkaline hydrolysis.

Chem. Commun., 1999, 1443–1451

1445

fold slower than that at pH 7). Moreover, the concentrations of
all the CeIV-derived species therein can be calculated using theequilibrium constants in the literature.17 Thus, the catalytically
active species for DNA hydrolysis in these homogeneous
solutions have been investigated.18,19

side ordinate) can be moved vertically by changing the catalytic
rate constants of the corresponding species.
In Fig. 6, the hydrolysis rate is plotted vs. [CeIV(NH4)2-(1) Hydrolysis of cyclic adenosine 3A,5A-monophosphate(cAMP). The hydrolysis of cAMP has many common featureswith DNA hydrolysis. First, both reactions are enormously(1011–1012 fold) promoted by CeIV.20 Second, the catalytic
activity of CeIV is far greater than that of any other catalyst.
Thirdly, both of the reactions proceed via the attack by OH2 (orH2O) as external nucleophile. The six-membered cyclic phosphodiester in cAMP is activated by strain and is much more
readily hydrolysed than the non-cyclic linkage in DNA. A
variety of fundamental information on CeIV-induced DNA
hydrolysis can be obtained from cAMP hydrolysis.18
In the reaction mixtures, six equilibria [eqn. (2)–(7)]hold.17
K1.1

CeIV + H2O [| [CeIV(OH)]3+ + H+, pK1,1 = 1.1

(2)

K1.2

CeIV + 2H2O [| [CeIV(OH)2]2+ + 2H+, pK1,2 = 0.3 (3)K2.2

2 CeIV + 2H2O [| [CeIV2(OH)2]6+ + 2H+, pK2,2 = 3.6 (4)K2.3

2 CeIV + 3H2O [| [CeIV2(OH)3]5+ + 3H+, pK2,3 = 4.1 (5)K2.4

2 CeIV + 4H2O [| [CeIV2(OH)4]4+ + 4H+, pK2,4 = 3.5 (6)K6.12

6 CeIV + 12H2O [| [CeIV6(OH)12]12+ + 12H+,
pK6,12 = 15.4 (7)Thus, the equilibrium concentrations of all the CeIV-derived
species (Ce4+, [CeIV(OH)]3+, [CeIV(OH)2]2+, [CeIV2(OH)2]6+,[CeIV2(OH)3]5+, [CeIV2(OH)4]4+, and [CeIV6(OH)12]12+) areevaluated by using the K1,1, K1,2, K2,2, K2,3, K2,4, and K6,12
values. As depicted in Fig. 5, the pH–rate constant profile (theFig. 6 The plots of the rate of cAMP hydrolysis vs. [Ce(NH4)2(NO3)6]0 at
pH 2.0 and 30 °C. The open circles are the experimental points, whereas thecurved lines show the equilibrium concentrations of the corresponding
species (see Fig. 5).

(NO3)6]0. The experimental points agree well with the theoretical lines for [CeIV2(OH)2]6+ [line (d)], [CeIV2(OH)3]5+ [line (e)], and [CeIV2(OH)4]4+ [line (f)]. Thus, only
[CeIV2(OH)4]4+ satisfies the results in both Figs. 5 and 6. Thistetracationic bimetallic hydroxo cluster is the active species forthe remarkable hydrolysis of cAMP.
(2) DNA hydrolysis. The CeIV-induced DNA hydrolysis has
been analyzed in acidic solutions (pH 1.5–2.5) at 50 °C, exactly
as described above for the cAMP hydrolysis.19 It has beenconcluded that [CeIV2(OH)4]4+ is also the active species. Of all
the CeIV ions in the mixtures, only a small portion (20–30%)
forms this bimetallic hydroxo-cluster (most of the rest exists as[CeIV(OH)2]2+), yet this species governs the whole reaction. Its
catalytic activity is overwhelmingly greater than those of theother species. The cooperation of the two CeIV ions in thecluster is strongly indicated (vide infra).
From the viewpoints of biological and other practicalapplications, DNA hydrolysis at around pH 7 is the mostimportant. In these mixtures, [CeIV2(OH)4]4+ further aggregates, forming complicated gels. The bimetallic hydroxo
clusters in the gels are the active species for DNA hydrolysis.
1.5. Activation of DNA by the CeIV ion

Fig. 5 The pH–rate constant profile for the cAMP hydrolysis byCe(NH4)2(NO3)6 (10 mM) at 30 °C. The open circles are the experimental
points. The equilibrium concentrations of the CeIV-derived species,
calculated by using the K values in eqn. (2)–(7), are presented by the curvedlines: (a) Ce4+, (b) [CeIV(OH)]3+, (c) [CeIV(OH)2]2+, (d) [CeIV2(OH)2]6+,(e) [CeIV2(OH)3]5+, (f) [CeIV2(OH)4]4+, (g) [CeIV6(OH)12]12+.

open circles) fits reasonably well the theoretical lines for theconcentrations of [CeIV(OH)2]2+ [line (c)], [CeIV2(OH)4]4+ [line(f)], and [CeIV6(OH)12]12+ [line (g)]. These three species are thecandidates for the catalytically active species. Note that theshapes of these lines are unanimously determined by the Kvalues, whereas their positions (with respect to the right-hand
1446

Chem. Commun., 1999, 1443–1451

Why is CeIV ion highly effective for DNA hydrolysis? Why are
the phosphodiester residues significantly activated by this metal
ion? Do its f-orbitals play a significant role in the catalysis? Inorder to answer these questions, core-level photoelectron
spectroscopy,21 as well as EXAFS (extended X-ray absorption
fine structure) and XANES (X-ray absorption near edge
structure) measurements22 were carried out. To simplify the
analysis, diphenyl phosphate (DPP) was used as the specimen,
in place of DNA.23(1) Enormous electron-withdrawal from the phosphate
by CeIV. Fig. 7 presents the core-level spectra for the 2p orbitalsof the phosphorus atom of DPP in various lanthanide complexes. The electron-withdrawal by the metal ions from thephosphodiester linkage (and thus from the phosphorus atom), if
any, is observed as the increase in the binding energy. It has
been found that the binding energy of the orbitals in the CeIV
complex is considerably greater than those for the complexes
with LaIII, EuIII, LuIII, and other non-lanthanide ions. Appar-

would be still more efficient in the transition state, and decrease
the activation free energy for the DNA hydrolysis.
(3) Structure of the CeIV–phosphate complex. According
to detailed analysis of the core-level spectra, the phosphodiester
is simultaneously coordinated to two CeIV ions, and enormously
activated. As depicted in Fig. 9, the P2p signals of DPP in theFig. 7 Core-level spectra for the P2p orbital of DPP in the LaIII, CeIV, EuIII,and LuIII complexes. [Lanthanide ion]0 / [DPP] 0 = 10. The two bold arrows
correspond to the PH and PL in Fig. 9.

ently, the CeIV ion exceeds the other metal ions in electronwithdrawing activity, and exceptionally promotes the electrophilicity of the phosphodiester linkage. The superiority of CeIV
for the activation of DNA has been for the first time
spectroscopically studied.
According to the L3-XANES spectroscopy, 0.67 electrons
exist in the 4f-orbitals of the Ce ion in the CeIV–DPP complex(these orbitals should be empty, if the Ce were to be reallytetravalent). Upon complex formation, the electrons flow into
the 4f-orbitals from the surroundings. In the DPP complexes of
CeIII and other lanthanide(iii) ions, however, the corresponding
electron-transfer to the metal(iii) ions is not observed. The
enormous activity of CeIV for DNA hydrolysis is primarily
ascribed to the dominant electron-accepting activity, which isderived from the stability of its trivalent state. The lanthanide(iii) ions cannot efficiently accept the electrons from DNA,
since their divalent states are too unstable.
(2) Mixing of the orbitals of the phosphodiester linkage
with those of CeIV. The electron-transfer from the phosphate to
the CeIV ion occurs, at least partially, through the hybrid
orbitals, which are formed from the 4f-orbitals of CeIV and theorbitals of the phosphorus atom (and/or of the oxygen atom) in
the phosphate residue.24 Consistently, a new energy state,
related to this hybrid 4f-orbitals, appears near the Fermi level,
when the CeIV–DPP complex is formed (Fig. 8). Neither freeFig. 8 X-Ray photoelectron spectra near the Fermi level.

DPP nor the CeIV hydroxo cluster (without DPP) has anyenergy-state density at this level. Since the 4f-orbitals of CeIV
are lower in energy than those of the lanthanide(iii) ions, and, atthe same time, are widely spreading in space, they canefficiently interact with the orbitals of the phosphate. This
mixing of the orbitals (as well as the resultant electron-transfer)

Fig. 9 Core-level spectra of the P2p orbital of DPP in the CeIV–DPP
mixtures of different molar ratios. The peaks PH and PL correspond to the
doublet signals of higher and lower binding energies.

CeIV complexes are composed of two components (PH and PL:each of the peaks is further split into a spin doublet). When the
CeIV : DPP ratio is 1 : 1, the peak PL of lower energy is
predominant (b). Here, the phosphodiester linkage is bound to
one CeIV ion and is only slightly activated (DNA hydrolysis
hardly takes place). As the CeIV : DPP ratio increases [Fig. 9(c)–(e)], the intensity of PH (of higher energy) gradually increases.
This signal corresponds to DPP which is coordinated to two
CeIV ions in the hydroxo cluster and is exceptionally activatedby ‘two-metal activation’ (see Fig. 11). Consistently, theremarkable DNA hydrolysis occurs when Ce(IV) exists inexcess to DNA.
These arguments are further substantiated by the EXAFS
spectra in Fig. 10. In the absence of DPP [Fig. 10(a), (b)] theCeIV ions form metal hydroxo clusters (and the gel as theiraggregates). Accordingly, the signal for the Ce–Ce distance isclearly observed at 3.6 Å (the position designated by the brokenline). The signal at around 2.0 Å is for the Ce–O distance. Upon
addition of DPP, the Ce–Ce signal rapidly weakens and isvirtually nil at a Ce : DPP ratio of 1 : 1 [Fig. 10(c)]. Since the 1 : 1
CeIV–DPP complexes exist independently from each other(without mutual aggregation), the Ce–Ce signal is absent. When
the CeIV : DPP ratio is > 1, however, the Ce–Ce signal appears
again and gradually increases with increasing Ce : DPP ratio[Fig. 10(d), (e)]. Here, two CeIV ions are simultaneouslyinteracting with one DPP molecule, and located in close
Chem. Commun., 1999, 1443–1451

1447

have many coordinated water molecules, and at least one ofthem is placed appropriately for the purpose). Finally, thepositive charges, accumulated in the CeIV hydroxo cluster (andalso in the hydroxide gel as their aggregates), stabilize thenegatively-charged transition state of DNA hydrolysis (thetransition state is more negatively charged than the initial state,
and is stabilized to a greater extent by the adjacent positive
charges). Because of these factors, the pentacoordinatedintermediate is efficiently formed.
In the breakdown of the intermediate, the water bound to
CeIV functions as an acid catalyst. With this catalysis, thealkoxide ion of the 5A-OH of the 2A-deoxyribonucleotide (which
is otherwise very unstable) can be promptly removed from thephosphorus atom. The large coordination number of the CeIV
ions in the bimetallic cluster is favorable for the catalysis,exactly as described above for the first-step of DNA hydrolysis.
The notable D2O solvent isotope effect (see the Section 1.1) is
associated with this proton transfer.
These arguments are supported by the fact that the activity ofCeIV for DNA hydrolysis is substantially enhanced by cooperation with PrIII.25 When the CeIV : PrIII ratio is 2, the activity is 10
fold greater than that of the CeIV ion (the PrIII itself is virtuallyinactive under the reaction conditions employed). The catalysis
occurs in the mixed hydroxo clusters, formed from these two
metal ions in the reaction mixtures. Presumably, the PrIII ion inthis mixed cluster provides its metal-bound water as the acidcatalyst, and promotes the second-step of DNA hydrolysis (theremoval of the 5A-OH of 2A-deoxyribonucleotide). Under thereaction conditions (around pH 7), the PrIII-bound water mostly
remains undissociated (pKa ~ 9),26 and is superior as an acidcatalyst to the CeIV-bound water. Although the [CeIV(H2O)n]4+
ion is intrinsically a very strong acid (the pKa for the first
deprotonation is around 0),26 it loses three protons at pH 0–4,
and is only a weak acid at pH 7.27
On the CeCl3-induced DNA hydrolysis under air, a mechanism, in which a hydrogen peroxide-like species (formed by the
reduction of O2 with the CeIII) functions as the nucleophile, wasproposed.8b However, this mechanism is unlikely, since CeIV
salts satisfactorily hydrolyse DNA even in the complete absenceof O2.8a,9 The role of O2 is only to oxidize the CeIII to thecatalytically active CeIV, and not to provide the nucleophile.
The nucleophile comes from the water.

Fig. 10 EXAFS spectra for the CeIV–DPP systems.

proximity. Thus, these two CeIV ions are bound to each other,giving rise to the Ce–Ce signal.
1.6 Proposed mechanism for the DNA hydrolysis
The proposed mechanism is schematically depicted in Fig. 11.
First, the phosphate residue is coordinated to the two CeIV ionsin [CeIV2(OH)4]4+ (the apparent association constant between
CeIV and TpT is 103 M21 at pH 2 and 50 °C).9 As the result, theelectrons of the phosphate are strongly withdrawn by the CeIV
ions. Furthermore, the orbitals of the phosphate are mixed withthe 4f-orbitals of CeIV, and form new hybrid orbital(s). These
two factors greatly activate the phosphodiester linkage for the
nucleophilic attack.
Then, the phosphate is attacked by the hydroxide ion
coordinated to one of the two CeIV ions. According to thepotentiometric titration, each of the CeIV ions releases three
protons from its coordinated water to the aqueous phase, when
the pH is increased from 0 to 4 (no proton is released above pH
4). Although this metal-bound hydroxide ion is a rather weak
nucleophile, the phosphate is so activated (as described above)that the reaction can efficiently proceed. Furthermore, thehydroxide ion is located at quite a suitable position for the
nucleophilic attack (the two CeIV ions in the bimetallic clusterO

2 Lanthanide(iii) ion-induced hydrolysis of RNA
Since RNA has the 2A-OH of ribose as an intramolecular
nucleophile towards the phosphorus atom, RNA is far more
promptly (105–106 fold) hydrolysed than is DNA. Yet, nonenzymatic hydrolysis of RNA under physiological conditions is
not easy (in order to hydrolyse RNA within an hour, forexample, the catalyst must accelerate the reaction by 107-fold ormore). Although a number of catalysts have been proposed,

B1

O

O

B1

O

O

O

B1

OH–
CeIV
HO

OH

CeIV
O
H

OH

O
O
– P
O
O

Ce
O

B2

H
O

HO

IV

OH

CeIV

–O P
–O

O H
H

O

O

–O

O

O
O

P O
O–

B2

+
HO

O

B2

O

Fig. 11 Proposed mechanism of the CeIV-induced DNA hydrolysis [the P–O(5A) scission is presented here, although the P–O(3A) scission can also occur (seeref. 15)].

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Chem. Commun., 1999, 1443–1451

none of them exceeds (or is even comparable with) thelanthanide(iii) ions in activity.
The catalytic activity of the lanthanide(iii) ions at pH 7
monotonically increases with increasing atomic number.10 With
the last three (TmIII, YbIII, and LuIII), RNA hydrolysis iscompleted within a few minutes at pH 7 and 30 °C. Interestingly, CeIV, which is the best for DNA hydrolysis, is not so
active for RNA hydrolysis (its activity is comparable with thatof TbIII).
2.1 Catalytic species for RNA hydrolysis
The solvolysis chemistry of NdIII is well known [eqn. (8) and(9)].28 Thus, the NdIII-induced hydrolysis of adenylyl(3A5A)adenosine (ApA) has been kinetically analyzed in detail.10 In
K1.1

NdIII + H2O [| [NdIII(OH)]2+ + H+pK1,1 = 9.4

(8)

K2.2

2NdIII + 2H2O [| [NdIII2 (OH)2]4++ 2H+pK2,2 = 13.9 (9)the reaction mixtures, there exist three NdIII-derived species:
free Nd3+, [NdIII(OH)]2+, and [NdIII2(OH)2]4+. The equilibrium
concentration of each species can be calculated by using the K1,1
and K2,2 values.
As shown in Fig. 12, the logarithm of the rate of RNA
hydrolysis steeply increases with increasing pH, up to pH 8, andFig. 13 The pH dependence of the rate of ApA hydrolysis by various
lanthanide(iii) chlorides (1 mM) at 30 °C: (2) LaIII, (5) NdIII, (?) TbIII,(ß) LuIII. Only the typical results are presented here, since the shapes of the
profiles for all the lanthanide(iii) ions are similar and their positions
monotonically shift towards lower pH side with increasing atomic
number.

active for RNA hydrolysis in neutral solutions. For LaIII,
however, only a small fraction takes the active form at pH 7.
Thus, TmIII, YbIII, and LuIII are superior to the others, when the
RNA hydrolysis is carried out under physiological conditions.
In alkaline solutions, even the LaIII ion mostly takes the active
form and is sufficiently active.29
2.3 The rate-limiting step for RNA hydrolysis

Fig. 12. The pH dependence of the rate of ApA hydrolysis by NdCl3 (1 mM)
at 30 °C. The closed circles are the experimental points, whereas the curvedlines show the equilibrium concentration of the NdIII-derived species.

then attains a plateau. The experimental points fit well thetheoretical line showing the equilibrium concentration of[NdIII2(OH)2]4+ (the solid line). This bimetallic cluster is theactive species for RNA hydrolysis (its formation is accompanied by the release of two protons, as shown by eqn. (9), andthus the pH–rate constant profile is so steep). This conclusion isfurther supported by the dependence of hydrolysis rate on theinitial concentration of NdIIICl3. In order to hydrolyse RNA
efficiently, the bimetallic structure is essential. This finding is
totally consistent with the fact that [CeIV2(OH)4]4+ is the active
species for CeIV-induced DNA hydrolysis.
2.2 Why does the activity of the lanthanide(iii) ion at pH
7 increase with increasing atomic number?
The pH–rate constant profiles for all the lanthanide(iii) ionshave similar shapes, and are composed of (a) a steep straightline at lower pH and (b) a plateau at higher pH (see Fig. 13). The
straight line corresponds to the formation of the active species[LnIII2(OH)2]4+ (Ln = lanthanide ion), whereas its formation iscompleted in the plateau.
As the atomic number increases, these profiles gradually shift
towards the lower pH side. Accordingly, the concentration of
the active species at pH 7 increases in this order. For example,
LuIII exists mostly as the bimetallic active species([LuIII2(OH)2]4+) at pH 7. As the result, this metal ion is quite

When the 5A-O atom in RNA is replaced with a sulfur, the rateof alkaline hydrolysis of the corresponding phosphodiester
linkage is increased by 105–106 fold.30 Exactly as discussed in
DNA hydrolysis (Section 1.2), the removal of the 5A-OH of theribose from the phosphorus atom is rate limiting. Similarly, thelanthanide ion-induced RNA hydrolysis involves a rate-limiting
removal of the 5A-OH.10,31
Based on these results, the energy diagrams are depicted inFig. 4(b). The lanthanide(iii) ions primarily accelerate thesecond step (the removal of the 5A-OH). At the same time,
however, the first step (the intramolecular attack by the 2A-OH
towards the phosphorus atom) is also promoted, to some extent( > 102–3 fold), so that the second-step remains rate-limiting (theRNA hydrolysis is accelerated by 108 fold). It is noteworthy thatthe first barrier in the alkaline hydrolysis of RNA is much lower
than that in DNA hydrolysis [compare Fig. 4(a) with 4(b)]. The
intramolecular attack by the 2A-OH is enormously efficientcompared with the intermolecular reaction in the latter.
Furthermore, the second barrier in the RNA hydrolysis(corresponding to DG2‡) is considerably higher than the firstbarrier (the rate difference is 105–106 fold). This is in contrast
with the symmetric energy diagram in the DNA hydrolysis. The
RNA hydrolysis involves the formation of a 2A,3A-cyclic
monophosphate of the ribonucleotide as the first product, and aconsiderable strain is induced on the formation of this fivemembered ring phosphate. The cyclic phosphate is much morereactive than RNA, and is rapidly hydrolysed to the 2A- or 3Amonophosphate as the final product.
2.4 Proposed mechanism of the RNA hydrolysis
First, the phosphodiester linkage in RNA is coordinated to thelanthanide(iii) ion in the bimetallic cluster [LnIII2(OH)2]4+. In
the following intramolecular nucleophilic attack by the 2A-OH
towards the phosphorus atom, the hydroxide ion, bound to themetal ion(s), functions as the general base catalyst. Alternatively, the 2A-OH is directly coordinated to the metal ion, andits dissociation to alkoxide ion is facilitated.
In the breakdown of the resultant pentacoordinated intermediate, the metal-bound water (or the metal ion itself)
Chem. Commun., 1999, 1443–1451

1449

functions as the general acid catalyst. The water bound to thelanthanide(iii) ions has a pKa of around 8–9, which should befurther decreased in the bimetallic clusters through the electronwithdrawal by the second metal(iii) ion. This is quite appropriate for the present acid catalysis, since the RNA hydrolysis iscarried out at around pH 7 (when the apparent activities ofvarious acid catalysts are compared with each other at apredetermined pH, the activity increases as the pKa gets closer
to the pH).31 The acid catalysis cooperates with the basecatalysis in the hydroxo clusters, resulting in the prompthydrolysis of RNA (Fig. 14).

O

satisfactorily cooperate in dinuclear (or multi-nuclear) complexes (to date, there are no non-lanthanide complexes which
can hydrolyse DNA of various sequences and structures).33 In
order to place the metal ions appropriately, various ligands havebeen designed. The control of acid/base properties of the metal
ions (and of the water bound to them) is also important. For
example, ZnII ion itself is virtually inactive for RNA hydrolysis
at pH 7. Mono-nuclear ZnII complexes also exhibit poor
activity. However, di- and tri-nuclear ZnII complexes ofpyridine-based ligands efficiently hydrolyse RNA (Fig.
15).34,35 By attaching these zinc(ii) complexes to DNA
oligomers, sequence-selective artificial ribonucleases havebeen synthesized.36

B1

O

O

P

H
O

O
H

N

N

O
LnIII

N

O–

H

–

H O
H

O
B2

N

O O

O

ZnII

ZnII

N

N

LnIII

O

ZnII

OH

Fig. 14 Proposed mechanism of the lanthanide(iii)-induced RNA hydrolysis.

N
N

3 DNA hydrolysis vs. RNA hydrolysis
What factor makes the CeIV ion the best for DNA hydrolysis?
Why does RNA hydrolysis choose the lanthanide(iii) ions? Theenergy diagrams in Fig. 4 give us some tips on these subjects.
The energy diagram for the uncatalysed (alkaline) hydrolysis of
DNA is virtually symmetric, and the heights of the first barrier
and the second barrier are almost the same [the dotted line in
Fig. 4(a)]. Under these conditions, the primary requirement for
efficient catalysis is to lower the energy barrier of the first step(otherwise, the first barrier governs the rate of the wholereaction, no matter how much the second step is promoted).
Second, the catalyst must stabilize the pentacoordinatedintermediate with respect to the initial state [see eqn. (1)]. The
CeIV ion satisfactorily fulfils these requirements, through theactivation of the DNA by both (a) withdrawing the electrons
from the phosphate in the ‘two-metal activation’ (Fig. 7 and 9)
and (b) mixing its f-orbitals with those of the phosphate (Fig. 8).
The second barrier is lowered with respect to the initial state,mainly because DG1 is decreased. In contrast, the lanthanide(iii) ions cannot activate DNA to such an extent that they are
rather poor for DNA hydrolysis.
In uncatalysed hydrolysis of RNA [Fig. 4(b)], however, thesecond energy barrier is far higher than is the first energy barrier(105–106 fold difference in the reaction rate), as described in
Section 2.3. Here, the promotion of the second step should
directly accelerate the whole reaction (until it becomes lower
than the first barrier). The promotion of the first step is not as
essential as is the case in DNA hydrolysis. The lanthanide(iii)
ions are suitable for the acid catalysis in the second step, since
they have many (8 or 9) coordinated water molecules and theirpKa values are close to the pH of the reaction mixtures (videante).32

4 From lanthanide ions to non-lanthanide ions
Soon after the remarkable catalysis by the lanthanide ions was
discovered, many laboratories attempted to hydrolyse DNA andRNA by using non-lanthanide ions.1 These catalysts, if
available, should be useful for various practical applications(especially in vivo). It has been established that RNA can behydrolysed by these metal ions, if two (or more) of them
1450

Chem. Commun., 1999, 1443–1451

ZnII

N

N

N

ZnII

N

N

N
N

N

Fig. 15. Di- and tri-nuclear ZnII complexes for RNA hydrolysis.

The lanthanide ions spontaneously form multi-nuclear clusters under physiological conditions, even in the absence ofspecific ligands. Two or more lanthanide ions are appropriately
placed in these clusters, where bimetallic (or multi-metallic)synergism efficiently takes place. The 4f-orbitals activate thephosphates through orbital–orbital interactions. Furthermore,
the acid/base properties of the coordinated water on thelanthanide ions are suitable for the catalysis at pH 7. Finally, thepositively-charged reaction field, provided by the clusters,
stabilizes the negatively-charged transition states for thehydrolysis of DNA and RNA. The combination of these factors
gives rise to the remarkable activities of the lanthanide ions.

Conclusions
A few years ago, it was found that the lanthanide ions hydrolyse
DNA and RNA under physiological conditions, and we haveobtained useful tools to manipulate DNA and RNA without
using naturally-occurring enzymes. However, the mechanistic
details of these remarkable catalyses were not clear. In thepresent study, the following important conclusions have beenobtained on the mechanisms of these catalyses.
(1) Tetracationic bimetallic hydroxo clusters are the active
species ([CeIV2(OH)4]4+ for DNA hydrolysis and[LnIII2(OH)2]4+ for RNA hydrolysis).
(2) The CeIV ion notably activates the phosphodiester
linkages in DNA to nucleophilic attack, through (a) electronwithdrawal from the residues and (b) mixing its 4f-orbitals with
their orbitals. As a result, the formation of the pentacoordinatedintermediate is remarkably promoted.
(3) The catalysis for RNA hydrolysis is mainly ascribed to theacceleration of the breakdown of the pentacoordinated intermediate. The activity at pH 7 increases with increasing atomic
number of the lanthanide(iii) ion, since the concentration of theactive species (the bimetallic hydroxo cluster) increases in thisorder.
(4) In the lanthanide-induced hydrolysis of both DNA andRNA, the breakdown of the pentacoordinated intermediate is
rate limiting.
These findings are valuable for the design of still moreadvanced catalysts for the hydrolysis of DNA and RNA, as well
as artificial enzymes for site-selective scission of them. Whatshould be clarified next is (1) what is the real nature of theorbital-mixing between the CeIV ion and the phosphate? and (2)how big a contribution is made to DNA activation by each of theelectron-withdrawal and the orbital-mixing? In order to solvethese problems, quantum-chemical analyses are under way. The
application of lanthanide catalysis to biotechnology, molecularbiology, and therapy are also currently being attempted.

Acknowledgements
The authors are indebted to all the co-workers and collaborators
whose names are listed in the references. This study waspartially supported by a Grant from the ‘Research for the
Future’ Program of the Japan Society for the Promotion of
Science (JSPS-RFTF97I00301) and Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science, andCulture, Japan. A JSPS Research Fellowship for Young
Scientists (for N. T.) is also acknowledged.

Notes and references
1 Recent reviews: M. Komiyama and J. Sumaoka, Curr. Opin. Chem.
Biol., 1998, 2, 751; M. Oivanen, S. Kuusela and H. Lönnberg, Chem.
Rev., 1998, 98, 961; B. N. Trawick, A. T. Daniher and J. K. Bashkin,
Chem. Rev., 1998, 98, 939; G. Pratviel, J. Bernadou and B. Meunier, inAdvances in Inorganic Chemistry, ed. A. G. Sykes, Academic Press, San
Diego, 1998, vol. 45, p. 251; D. M. Perreault and E. V. Anslyn, Angew.
Chem., Int. Ed. Engl., 1997, 36, 432; J. Chin, Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol.,
1997, 1, 514; E. Kimura and T. Koike, in Advances in Inorganic
Chemistry, ed. A. G. Sykes, Academic Press, San Diego, 1997, vol. 44,
p. 229 and references cited therein.
2 The scission site of a restriction enzyme, which recognizes a sequenceof 6 DNA bases, appears every 46 DNA bases (in average). If the DNAof the human beings, composed of more than 109 DNA bases, is treatedwith this restriction enzyme, the scission occurs at more than 105
sites.
3 The half-life of the phosphodiester linkage in DNA at pH 7 and 30 °C
is estimated to be 200 million years. Although the linkage in RNA ismuch more reactive than that in DNA, its half-life is still 1000 years orso.
4 Supercoiled DNA, which is activated by strain and other factors, wasreportedly cleaved via the hydrolytic pathway: L. A. Basile, A. L.
Raphael and J. K. Barton, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1987, 109, 7550; L. M. T.
Schnaith, R. S. Hanson and L. Que, Jr., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.,
1994, 91, 569; S. Hashimoto and Y. Nakamura, J. Chem. Soc., Perkin
Trans. 1, 1996, 2623; R. Hettich and H.-J. Schneider, J. Am. Chem.
Soc., 1997, 119, 5638.
5 DNA hydrolysis: Y. Matsumoto and M. Komiyama, Nucleic Acids
Symp. Ser., 1992, 27, 33; M. Komiyama, K. Matsumura, K. Yonezawa
and Y. Matsumoto, Chem. Express, 1993, 8, 85; T. Shiiba, K.
Yonezawa, N. Takeda, Y. Matsumoto, M. Yashiro and M. Komiyama,
J. Mol. Catal., 1993, 84, L21.
6 RNA hydrolysis: K. Matsumura and M. Komiyama, J. Chem. Soc.,
Chem. Commun., 1992, 640; J. R. Morrow, L. A. Buttrey, V. M. Shelton
and K. A. Berback, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1992, 114, 1903; J. R. Morrow
and V. M. Shelton, New J. Chem., 1994, 18, 371; R. Breslow and D.-L.
Huang, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 1991, 88, 4080.
7 On the hydrolysis of various activated phosphoesters, see ref. 1.
8 (a) M. Komiyama, T. Shiiba, T. Kodama, N. Takeda, J. Sumaoka and M.
Yashiro, Chem. Lett., 1994, 1025; (b) B. K. Takasaki and J. Chin, J. Am.
Chem. Soc., 1994, 116, 1121.
9 M. Komiyama, N. Takeda, Y. Takahashi, H. Uchida, T. Shiiba, T.
Kodama and M. Yashiro, J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 2, 1995, 269.
10 K. Matsumura and M. Komiyama, J. Biochem., 1997, 122, 387.
11 Sequence-selective DNA scission: M. Komiyama, T. Shiiba, Y.
Takahashi, N. Takeda, K. Matsumura and T. Kodama, Supramol.
Chem., 1994, 4, 31; M. Komiyama, N. Takeda, T. Shiiba, Y. Takahashi,
Y. Matsumoto and M. Yashiro, Nucleosides Nucleotides, 1994, 13,1297; M. Komiyama, J. Biochem., 1995, 118, 665.

12 Sequence-selective RNA scission: K. Matsumura, M. Endo and M.
Komiyama, J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun., 1994, 2019; J. Hall, D.
Hüsken and R. Häner, Nucleosides Nucleotides, 1997, 16, 1357; D.
Magda, M. Wright, S. Crofts, A. Lin and J. L. Sessler, J. Am. Chem.
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13 J. Sumaoka, Y. Azuma and M. Komiyama, Chem. Eur. J., 1998, 4,205.
14 N. Takeda, Y. Okada and M. Komiyama, unpublished results.
15 The electrophilicity of the phosphorus atom is not much altered by the
O ? S substitution, since the substitution of non-bridging oxygen in thephosphate to sulfur hardly affects the rate of hydrolysis. In TpOCH2CF3, the perturbation on the phosphorus atom is still smaller. In
the CeIV-induced hydrolysis of Tp-OT, the P–O(3A) bond and the P–
O(5A) bond are cleaved at almost the same rates (the resultant 5A- and 3Amonophosphates of thymidine are rapidly hydrolysed to thymidine as
the final product, and thus are not much accumulated: see ref. 9). In thehydrolysis of Tp-ST and Tp-OCH2CF3, the P–S bond and P–O(5A) bondare exclusively cleaved.
16 Homogeneous hydrolysis of DNA at pH 7 by CeIV–saccharide
complexes was reported: A. Kajimura, J. Sumaoka and M. Komiyama,
Carbohydr. Res., 1998, 309, 345.
17 F. B. Charles Jr. and R. E. Mesmer, The Hydrolysis of Cations, Wiley,
New York, 1976, p. 138.
18 J. Sumaoka, N. Takeda, Y. Okada, H. Takahashi, H. Shigekawa and M.
Komiyama, Nucleic Acids Symp. Ser., 1998, 39, 137.
19 J. Sumaoka, K. Furuki and M. Komiyama, unpublished results.
20 J. Sumaoka, S. Miyama and M. Komiyama, J. Chem. Soc., Chem.
Commun., 1994, 1755.
21 H. Shigekawa, H. Ikawa, R. Yoshizaki, Y. Iijima, J. Sumaoka and M.
Komiyama, Appl. Phys. Lett., 1996, 68, 1433.
22 H. Shigekawa, M. Ishida, K. Miyake, R. Shioda, Y. Iijima, T. Imai, H.
Takahashi, J. Sumaoka and M. Komiyama, Appl. Phys. Lett., 1999, 74,
460.
23 The EXAFS and XANES measurements were carried out on samples
frozen in liquid nitrogen.
24 Various characteristic properties of Ce compounds have been interpreted in terms of the formation of similar hybrid orbitals. For example,
CeRu2, CeCo2, and CeRh3 are non-magnetic, but show 4f-derived
emission in their resonant photoemission spectra. Apparently, the 4f
character is delocalized by the hybridization. The number of 4f electrons
should be between 0 and 1 depending on the amount of the chargetransfer: A. Fujimori, Phys. Rev. B, 1983, 28, 4489; A. Bianconi, H.
Marcelli, R. Dexpert, A. Karnatak, T. J. Kotani and J. Petiau, Phys. Rev.
B, 1987, 35, 806 and references cited therein.
25 N. Takeda, T. Imai, M. Irisawa, J. Sumaoka, M. Yashiro, H. Shigekawa,and M. Komiyama, Chem. Lett., 1996, 599. This CeIV/PrIII combinationis the most active catalyst for DNA hydrolysis ever reported.
26 J. Burgess, Metal Ions in Solution, Wiley, New York, 1978, p. 267.
27 Alternatively, PrIII can provide its metal-bound hydroxide as thenucleophile. The hydroxide is a better nucleophile than the CeIV-boundhydroxide.
28 K. A. Burkov, L. S. Lilich, N. D. Ngo and A. Yu. Smirnov, Russ. J.
Inorg. Chem., 1973, 18, 797.
29 P. Hurst, B. K. Takasaki and J. Chin, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1996, 118,9982.
30 X. Liu and C. B. Reese, Tetrahedron Lett., 1995, 36, 3413; J. B.
Thomson, B. K. Patel, V. Jimenez, K. Eckart and F. Eckstein, J. Org.
Chem., 1996, 61, 6273; R. G. Kuimelis and L. W. McLaughlin, Nucleic
Acids Res., 1995, 23, 4753; D.-M. Zhou, N. Usman, F. E. Wincott, J.
Matulic-Adamic, M. Orita, L.-H. Zhang, M. Komiyama, P. K. R. Kumar
and K. Taira, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1996, 118, 5862.
31 T. Shiiba and M. Komiyama, Tetrahedron Lett., 1992, 33, 5571.
32 The Brønsted relationship indicates that the intrinsic activity of acidcatalysts increases with decreasing pKa. However, the concentration of
the active species (in the acidic form) at a predetermined pH decreases
in this order. Thus, the net efficiency of the catalysis, determined by (theintrinsic activity of active species) 3 (the concentration of active
species), takes the maximum when the pKa is close to the reaction pH(see M. L. Bender, R. J. Bergeron and M. Komiyama, The Bioorganic
Chemistry of Enzymatic Catalysis, Wiley, New York, 1984, ch. 6.
33 Some of the complexes in ref. 4 were proposed to be active for thehydrolysis of non-supercoiled DNA.
34 M. Yashiro, A. Ishikubo and M. Komiyama, J. Chem. Soc., Chem.
Commun., 1995, 1793.
35 M. Yashiro, A. Ishikubo and M. Komiyama, J. Chem. Soc., Chem.
Commun., 1997, 83.
36 S. Matsuda, A. Ishikubo, A. Kuzuya, M. Yashiro and M. Komiyama,
Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 1998, 37, 3284.
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