From DNA to Nerve Agents – The Biomimetic Catalysts for the Hydrolysis of Phosphate Esters

Abstract

The phosphate ester bonds are widely present in living organisms and in the environment. From the nucleic acids to the sparingly dispersed pesticides and chemical warfare residues, the phosphoester bond's stability against hydrolysis can be extremely high or exceptionally low. Recently, the enzyme-mimicking nanomaterials, namely 'nanozyme', have been explored for their activities in hydrolytically cleaving DNA, organophosphate and their analogues. Herein in a broad perspective these nanomaterials were summarized and compared with a view to reproducing the catalysis efficiency and selectivity of natural phosphatases and nucleases. The development of biomimetic inorganic materials would not only provide potential nanomedicine for future gene editing, but also offer alternative solutions to the environmentally friendly treatment of pesticide residues and chemical warfare stockpiles.

Enhanced Artificial Enzyme Activities on the Reconstructed Sawtoothlike Nanofacets of Pure and Pr-Doped Ceria Nanocubes

“…This may be due to the different synthetic conditions for their vacancy-enhanced ceria nanoparticles. In order to figure out the possible role of Ce 3+ in the hydrolysis reaction, as also suggested previously, , 29 mM Ce 3+ and Ce 4+ were added to paraoxon in NMM solution, respectively. However, hydrolysis efficiencies of Ce 3+ or Ce 4+ are very low (Figure S10), even if at much higher Ce 3+ concentration than their study .…”

Design of Micro- and Nanoparticles: Self-Assembly and Application

“…Functionalized AuNPs suppress influenza virus, HSV and HIV. AuNPs potentially increase antiviral effects through multivalent interactions; dendronized AuNPs inhibit HIV more effectively than dendrons alone [93,94]. Sialic acid-functionalized AuNPs inhibit influenza virus infection, by multivalent interactions, relatively better than some synthetic clinical drugs such as zanamivir and oseltamivir, which are prone to resistance development by the influenza virus [95,96].…”

“…As a result, there was a boom in the development of biopolymer-based materials for drug delivery and bioapplications in general. Biopolymers, however, are intrinsically liable and largely sensitive to their microenvironment, thereby making them onerous, but easily manipulated components to work with in the field of functional biomaterials [91,93]. Despite this slight drawback, they present numerous advantages due to their little-to-no toxicity, ease of biodegradability, and intrinsic biocompatibility [94].…”

Nanostructured Ceria: Biomolecular Templates and (Bio)applications

“…Besides, this nanozyme activity can be applied to the decomposition of pollutants, such as phosphate-bearing nerve agents [ 93 , 94 ]. Phosphatase-like activity is extensively studied to induce DNA cleavage, with potential applications in DNA repair, gene editing, and biosensing, as recently reviewed [ 95 ].…”