Recognition of Double-Stranded Dna by Peptide Nucleic Acid |
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| Authors: | Pernilla Wittung Peter Nielsen Bengt Nordén |
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| Institution: | 1. Center for Biomolecular Recognition, Department of Biochemistry B , The Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen , DK-2200, Copenhagen N , Denmark.;2. Department of Physical Chemistry , Chalmers University of Technology , S-41296, Gothenburg , Sweden |
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| Abstract: | Abstract Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) is an oligonucleotide mimic in which the backbone of DNA has been replaced by a pseudopeptide. We here show that there are distinct variations as to how PNA oligomers interact with double-stranded DNA depending on choice of nucleobases. Thymine-rich homopyrimidine PNA oligomers recognise double-stranded polynucleotides by forming PNA2-DNA triplexes with the DNA purine strand. By contrast, cytosine-rich homopyrimidine PNAs add to double-stranded polynucleotides as Hoogsteen strands, forming PNA-DNA2 triplexes, while homopurine, or alternating thymine-guanine, PNA oligomers invade DNA to form PNA-DNA duplexes. |
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