Hydrolytic cleavage of DNA promoted by cobalt(III)-tetraamine complexes: Synthesis and characterization of carbonatobis[2-(2-pyridylethyl)]-(2-pyridylmethyl)aminecobalt(III) perchlorate

The catalytic cleavage of DNA was studied using a series of cis-aquahydroxo-tetraamine-Co(III) complexes (pH 7 and 37 °C). Under pseudo-Michaelis-Menten kinetic conditions, the complexes showed enhancement in rates that is 35 million times greater than the uncatalyzed DNA cleavage.