Expansion of the Genetic Alphabet in Nucleic Acids by Creating New Base Pairs

Author(s):  
Ichiro Hirao ◽  
Michiko Kimoto
2007 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Corral ◽  
Huub Kooijman ◽  
Anthony L. Spek ◽  
Jan Reedijk

1991 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 193-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franco Rollo ◽  
Franco Maria Venanzi ◽  
Augusto Amici

SummaryNucleic acids fractions were isolated from pre-Columbian maize seeds and characterized using different approaches such as polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, anti-DNA antibody binding, HPLC fractionation, molecular hybridization with cloned genes, and DNA amplification by the polymerase chain reaction. The nucleic acids were found to be very depolymerized (≤140 base pairs in length) and composed mainly of ribosomal RNA. Despite the very low amount and degree of polymerization of seed DNA, specific maize nuclear Mul, Mu4, Mu8 and, possibly, Mu5 element components could be detected, thanks to the use of amplification systems as short as 90 bp. The results suggest that evaluation of the relative proportions of Mu-type element components and, possibly, other maize genomic components in single mummified kernels, may offer a new key to the study of ancient maize populations.


Author(s):  
Luis A Marky ◽  
Hui-Ting Lee ◽  
Angel Garcia
Keyword(s):  

1973 ◽  
Vol 28 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 370-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Marciani ◽  
M. Terbojevich ◽  
F Dall 'Acqua ◽  
G. Rodighiero

Abstract As psoralen and other furocoumarin derivatives, intercalated between two base pairs of native DNA, under irradiation at 365 nm form inter-strand cross-linkings as a consequence of bifunctional addition, the writers have investigated the ability of psoralen to give such bifunctional photo­ additions, too, with nucleic acids with disordered or partilly disordered structure (denatured DNA and r-RNA). On the basis of fluorimetric, light-scattering, viscosimetric measurements and of the renaturation ability of denatured bacterial DNA, certain results have been obtained. In addition to monofunctional photoadditions, psoralen can give bifunctional binding by irradiation at 365 nm both with denatured DNA and with r-RNA. However, when irradiation of denatured DNA in the presence of psoralen was performed in a concentrated solution (0.4%), the formation of bifunctional additions between two different strands was demonstrated by the increase (50%) of molecular weight of denatured DNA. However, when irradiation of denatured DNA was performed in more dilute solutions (0.1%), the bifunctional photoaddition of psoralen took place producing only bi­ functional additions in the same strand, very probably with the formation of loops, as has been shown by the absence of increase of molecular weight of DNA and by the more restricted structure assumed by the macromolecule, revealed by the light-scattering and viscosimetric measurements. The formation of these bifunctional additions was confirmed by the reduced rate of renaturation shown by denatured bacterial DNA after irradiation in the presence of psoralen. In the case of r-RNA, psoralen, when irradiated can form bifunctional additions only in the same strand.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yukiko Kamiya ◽  
Tadashi Satoh ◽  
Atsuji Kodama ◽  
Tatsuya Suzuki ◽  
Keiji Murayama ◽  
...  

Abstract Xeno nucleic acids, which are synthetic analogues of natural nucleic acids, have potential for use in nucleic acid drugs and as orthogonal genetic biopolymers and prebiotic precursors. Although few acyclic nucleic acids can stably bind to RNA and DNA, serinol nucleic acid (SNA) and L-threoninol nucleic acid (L-aTNA) stably bind to them. Here we disclose crystal structures of RNA hybridizing with SNA and with L-aTNA. The heteroduplexes show unwound right-handed helical structures. Unlike canonical A-type duplexes, the base pairs in the heteroduplexes align perpendicularly to the helical axes, and consequently helical pitches are large. The unwound helical structures originate from interactions between nucleobases and neighbouring backbones of L-aTNA and SNA through CH–O bonds. In addition, SNA and L-aTNA form a triplex structure via C:G*G parallel Hoogsteen interactions with RNA. The unique structural features of the RNA-recognizing mode of L-aTNA and SNA should prove useful in nanotechnology, biotechnology, and basic research into prebiotic chemistry.


2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (16) ◽  
pp. 10235-10244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirandeep Dhami ◽  
Denis A. Malyshev ◽  
Phillip Ordoukhanian ◽  
Tomáš Kubelka ◽  
Michal Hocek ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
pp. 702-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanying Li ◽  
Thomas H. LaBean ◽  
Kam W. Leong

Nanoengineering exploits the interactions of materials at the nanometre scale to create functional nanostructures. It relies on the precise organization of nanomaterials to achieve unique functionality. There are no interactions more elegant than those governing nucleic acids via Watson–Crick base-pairing rules. The infinite combinations of DNA/RNA base pairs and their remarkable molecular recognition capability can give rise to interesting nanostructures that are only limited by our imagination. Over the past years, creative assembly of nucleic acids has fashioned a plethora of two-dimensional and three-dimensional nanostructures with precisely controlled size, shape and spatial functionalization. These nanostructures have been precisely patterned with molecules, proteins and gold nanoparticles for the observation of chemical reactions at the single molecule level, activation of enzymatic cascade and novel modality of photonic detection, respectively. Recently, they have also been engineered to encapsulate and release bioactive agents in a stimulus-responsive manner for therapeutic applications. The future of nucleic acid-based nanoengineering is bright and exciting. In this review, we will discuss the strategies to control the assembly of nucleic acids and highlight the recent efforts to build functional nucleic acid nanodevices for nanomedicine.


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