Copper(II)-Controlled Molecular Glue for Mismatched DNA.

Isothermal hybridization of two DNA strands bearing three thymine-thymine (T:T) mismatches can be brought about in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of a bis-naphthalene macrocycle, 2,7-BisNP-NH. This process can be reverted by addition of a CuII salt due to formation of a dinuclear metal complex which does not bind to DNA. Subsequent sequestration of CuII releases the macrocycle and restores the hybridization state of DNA strands, thus allowing implementation of a fast fluorescent two-state DNA switch.