Experimental evidence that a DNA polymerase can incorporate N7-platinated guanines to give platinated DNA

A model DNA polymerase and a model N7-metallated purine-triphosphate nucleotide, are used to show that metalated purines can be inserted into DNA during enzymatic in vitro synthetic process. Although several organic reporter groups covalently bonded to nucleotides are already widely used as experimental tools for nucleic acid modification, the possibility to obtain site specific metallation, mediated by DNA polymerase is here demonstrated for the first time.