Achievements and challenges in resolving molecular aspects of DNA-protein interactions

Proteins present in the dense environment of the cytoplasm bind selectively with surprising sensitivity to DNA. Binding involves direct and indirect DNA recognition by a protein and is accompanied by a sequence of structural changes in both biomolecules. At the molecular level, they are expressed by a relocation of the base pairs, hydration, and hydrogen bond changes at the sugar-phosphate and base-stacking regions affecting the DNA biopolymer's curvature and conformation. Sophisticated analytical methods have to be employed to directly detect these subtle changes. Electrochemical detection proved to be very suitable for sensing structural changes in DNA, thus laying the foundations for the development of biosensors.