Strand invasion of extended, mixed-sequence B-DNA by gammaPNAs

J Am Chem Soc. 2009 Sep 2;131(34):12088-90. doi: 10.1021/ja900228j.

Abstract

In this communication, we show that peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) with lengths of 15-20 nucleotides, when preorganized into a right-handed helix, can invade mixed-sequence double-helical B-form DNA (B-DNA). Strand invasion occurs in a highly sequence-specific manner through direct Watson-Crick base pairing. Unlike the previously developed double-duplex invasion strategy, which requires simultaneous binding of two strands of pseudocomplementary PNAs to DNA, only a single strand of gammaPNA is required for invasion in this case, and no nucleobase substitution is needed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Base Pairing
  • Base Sequence
  • Binding Sites
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • DNA / genetics
  • DNA / metabolism
  • DNA Restriction Enzymes / metabolism
  • Kinetics
  • Peptide Nucleic Acids / chemistry*
  • Peptide Nucleic Acids / genetics
  • Peptide Nucleic Acids / metabolism

Substances

  • Peptide Nucleic Acids
  • DNA
  • DNA Restriction Enzymes