Site-selective scission of double-stranded DNA by combining peptide nucleic acids and Ce(IV)/EDTA

By using two pseudo-complementary peptide nucleic acids (pcPNAs), invasion-structures were formed in double-stranded DNA so that the nucleotides adjacent to the DNA/PNA duplexes were kept unpaired. When these DNA/PNA conjugates were treated with Ce(IV)/EDTA complex, these gap-like sites in both DNA strands were preferentially hydrolyzed.