Abstract

Noncovalent forces rule the interactions between biomolecules. Inspired by a biomolecular interaction found in aminoglycoside-RNA recognition, glucose-nucleobase pairs have been examined. Deoxyoligonucleotides with a 6-deoxyglucose insertion are able to hybridize with their complementary strand, thus exhibiting a preference for purine nucleobases. Although the resulting double helices are less stable than natural ones, they present only minor local distortions. 6-Deoxyglucose stays fully integrated in the double helix and its OH groups form two hydrogen bonds with the opposing guanine. This 6-deoxyglucose-guanine pair closely resembles a purine-pyrimidine geometry. Quantum chemical calculations indicate that glucose-purine pairs are as stable as a natural T-A pair.

Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call