Structural insights into a DNA polymerase reading the xeno nucleic acid HNA.

ABSTRACT: Xeno nucleic acids (XNAs) are unnatural analogues of the natural nucleic acids in which the canonical ribose or deoxyribose rings are replaced with alternative sugars, congener structures or even open-ring configurations. The expanding repertoire of XNAs holds significant promise for diverse applications in molecular biology as well as diagnostics and therapeutics. Key advantages of XNAs over natural nucleic acids include their enhanced biostability, superior target affinity and (in some cases) catalytic activity. Natural systems generally lack the mechanisms to transcribe, reverse transcribe or replicate XNAs. This limitation has been overcome through the directed evolution of nucleic acid-modifying enzymes, especially polymerases (pols) and reverse transcriptases (RTs). Despite these adv

SUBMITTER: Gutfreund C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11724289 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature