Nucleic Acid Ligands Based on Carbohydrates

Sequence-specific nucleic acid ligands are important tools in chemistry and molecular biology and are thought to possess a considerable pharmaceutical potential. An overview of the structurally and mechanistically diverse approaches in the field with an emphasis on carbohydrates will be presented. Carbohydrates are just beginning to emerge as a novel class of nucleic acid binding compounds. The detailed study of the factors affecting the site-selectivity of some recently discovered antitumor antibiotics, e.g. calicheamicin, has shed a new light on the role thatoligosaccharides may play in nucleic acid recognition. Understanding these factors may aid in the rational design of novel nucleic acid ligands and their therapeutic application.