Non-thermal acceleration of DNA base pairing by sub-terahertz irradiation

PAPER manual The Journal of Chemical Physics 2026 In vitro study Effect: harm Evidence: Low

Read original paper → DOI: 10.1063/5.0298033 Evidence Lab

Abstract

We report a non-thermal mechanism by which sub-terahertz (sub-THz) radiation accelerates DNA base pairing in aqueous environments. By using a randomized 40-mer DNA pool as a model system, we investigated the effects of 0.1 THz continuous-wave irradiation on rehydration-coupled structural reorganization. UV absorption spectroscopy revealed a selective enhancement of the G:C base pairing-associated spectral component under this irradiation, in contrast to conductive heating, which suppressed this component. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy using a base-pair-sensitive dye further demonstrated that 0.1 THz irradiation increased the population of base-paired DNA molecules, while heating induced the opposite effect. These findings indicate that sub-THz waves promote nucleobase-specific hydrogen bonding, potentially by altering non-specific base-stacking interactions, in a manner inconsistent with thermal activation. This study provides mechanistic insight into the physical basis of sub-THz radiation-mediated modulation of nucleic acid structure and dynamics, with implications for the noninvasive manipulation of biomolecular processes. Effect harmful

AI evidence extraction

At a glance

Study type

In vitro study

Effect direction

harm

Population

—

Sample size

—

Exposure

sub-terahertz · 100000 MHz

Evidence strength

Low

Confidence: 30% · Peer-reviewed: yes

Main findings

Sub-terahertz (0.1 THz) continuous-wave irradiation non-thermally accelerates DNA base pairing in aqueous solutions, selectively enhancing G:C base pairing and increasing base-paired DNA molecules, unlike conductive heating which suppresses these effects.

Outcomes measured

DNA base pairing acceleration
selective enhancement of G:C base pairing spectral component
increased population of base-paired DNA molecules

Limitations

Study conducted in vitro, limiting direct extrapolation to in vivo or human exposure scenarios
No information on exposure duration or dose-response relationship
Mechanistic insights are preliminary and require further validation

View raw extracted JSON

{
    "study_type": "in_vitro",
    "exposure": {
        "band": "sub-terahertz",
        "source": null,
        "frequency_mhz": 100000,
        "sar_wkg": null,
        "duration": null
    },
    "population": null,
    "sample_size": null,
    "outcomes": [
        "DNA base pairing acceleration",
        "selective enhancement of G:C base pairing spectral component",
        "increased population of base-paired DNA molecules"
    ],
    "main_findings": "Sub-terahertz (0.1 THz) continuous-wave irradiation non-thermally accelerates DNA base pairing in aqueous solutions, selectively enhancing G:C base pairing and increasing base-paired DNA molecules, unlike conductive heating which suppresses these effects.",
    "effect_direction": "harm",
    "limitations": [
        "Study conducted in vitro, limiting direct extrapolation to in vivo or human exposure scenarios",
        "No information on exposure duration or dose-response relationship",
        "Mechanistic insights are preliminary and require further validation"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "low",
    "confidence": 0.299999999999999988897769753748434595763683319091796875,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "sub-terahertz radiation",
        "DNA base pairing",
        "non-thermal effects",
        "nucleic acid structure",
        "biomolecular processes"
    ],
    "suggested_hubs": []
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract/metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.

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