Direct observation of two cyclohexenyl (CeNA) ring conformations in duplex DNA.

ABSTRACT: Cyclohexene Nucleic Acids (CeNA), in which the 2'-deoxyribofuranose ring of the DNA building blocks is substituted by a cyclohexenyl ring, were designed as potential mimics of natural nucleic acids for antisense and, later, for siRNA applications. CeNA units, in contrast to HNA (hexitol nucleic acid) building blocks, show more flexibility at the level of the C2'-C3' bond due to the possibility of the cyclohexenyl moiety to adopt different conformations. In order to analyze the influence of CeNA residues onto the helix conformation and hydration of natural nucleic acid structures and to verify the cyclohexenyl ring conformation, a cyclohexenyl-thymine building block was incorporated into the non-self-complementary sequence d(GCG(xT)GCG)/d(CGCACGC) with (xT) a cyclohexene residue. The crysta

SUBMITTER: Robeyns K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3109440 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature