Electrochemical Reduction and Oxidation of Nucleic Acids Bases and their Analogues: a Brief Overview

Nucleic acids are known as electroactive biomacromolecules containing electrochemically reducible or oxidizable constituents. Nucleobases cytosine, 5-methylcytosine, adenine and guanine can be reduced in aqueous media on mercury or silver amalgam electrodes. Oxidation of all natural nucleic acids bases (in addition to the above mentioned ones, also uracil and thymine) was demonstrated using various types of carbon electrodes. Some of synthetic nucleobases or nucleotide analogues (e g., 7-deazapurines, cytidine analogues used as epigenetic modulators, etc.) exhibit specific electrochemical properties that differ from those of the parent bases and can be utilized to determine the given substance in the presence of natural nucleic acids or their components.