Abstract

The ( l)-α-lyxopyranosyl-(4′→3′)-oligonucleotide system—a member of a pentopyranosyl oligonucleotide family containing a shortened backbone—is capable of cooperative base-pairing and of cross-pairing with DNA and RNA. In contrast, corresponding ( d)-β-ribopyransoyl-(4′→3′)-oligonucleotides do not show base-pairing under similar conditions. We conclude that oligonucleotide systems can violate the ‘six-bonds-per-backbone-unit’ rule by having five bonds instead, if their vicinally bound phosphodiester bridges can assume an antiperiplanar conformation. An additional structural feature that seems relevant to the cross-pairing capability of the ( l)-α-lyxopyranosyl-(4′→3′)-oligonucleotide system is its (small) backbone/basepair axes inclination. An inclination which is similar to that in B-DNA seems to be a prerequisite for an oligonucleotide system's capability to cross-pair with DNA.

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