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Exploring the Role of Chirality in Nucleic Acid Recognition
Author(s) -
D'Alonzo Daniele,
Guaragna Annalisa,
Palumbo Giovanni
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
chemistry and biodiversity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.427
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1612-1880
pISSN - 1612-1872
DOI - 10.1002/cbdv.201000303
Subject(s) - nucleic acid , chemistry , chirality (physics) , rna , dna , nucleic acid structure , nucleotide , nucleic acid analogue , stereochemistry , base pair , nucleic acid thermodynamics , biochemistry , base sequence , gene , chiral symmetry breaking , physics , quantum mechanics , nambu–jona lasinio model , quark
The study of the base‐pairing properties of nucleic acids with sugar moieties in the backbone belonging to the L ‐series ( β ‐ L ‐DNA, β ‐ L ‐RNA, and their analogs) are reviewed. The major structural factors underlying the formation of stable heterochiral complexes obtained by incorporation of modified nucleotides into natural duplexes, or by hybridization between homochiral strands of opposite sense of chirality are highlighted. In addition, the perspective use of L ‐nucleic acids as candidates for various therapeutic applications, or as tools for both synthetic biology and etiology‐oriented investigations on the structure and stereochemistry of natural nucleic acids is discussed.