Scanning electrochemical microscopy was used to examine electron transfer across a self-assembled monolayer of thiol-modified DNA duplexes on a gold electrode. The apparent rate constant for heterogeneous ET from a solution redox probe, Fe(CN)6(3-/4-), to the gold surface through ds-DNA was 4.6 (+/-0.2) x 10(-7) cm/s. With the addition of Zn2+, which resulted in the formation of a metalated DNA (M-DNA) monolayer, the rate constant increased to 5.0 (+/-0.3) x 10(-6) cm/s. Upon treating M-DNA with EDTA, the zinc ions were released from the monolayer and the original rate constant for the DNA duplexes was restored. The enhanced ET rate was also observed at a DNA monolayer treated with Ca2+ or Mg2+, which does not complex by the DNA bases to form M-DNA. The binding of these cations facilitated the monolayer penetration by the probe mediator Fe(CN)6(3-/4-) and accordingly caused an increased redox signal of the mediator at the ds-DNA-modified electrode. Cationic or neutral mediators were not blocked by the ds-DNA monolayer. These results suggest that although the increased electron transport through M-DNA could partially be ascribed to the intrinsic enhancement of electric conductivity of M-DNA, which has been confirmed by photochemical studies, the change in the surface charge of DNA monolayers on the electrode caused by the binding of metal ions to DNA molecules may play a more important role in the enhancement of current with M-DNA.