title: Sequence-selective recognition of DNA by strand displacement with a thymine-substituted polyamide.
abstract: A polyamide nucleic acid (PNA) was designed by detaching the deoxyribose phosphate backbone of DNA in a computer model and replacing it with an achiral polyamide backbone. On the basis of this model, oligomers consisting of thymine-linked aminoethylglycyl units were prepared. These oligomers recognize their complementary target in double-stranded DNA by strand displacement. The displacement is made possible by the extraordinarily high stability of the PNA-DNA hybrids. The results show that the backbone of DNA can be replaced by a polyamide, with the resulting oligomer retaining base-specific hybridization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry B, Panum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Egholm
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Buchardt
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009757:Nylons / Q000737:chemistry*; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry*; D010777:Photochemistry; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D009757:Nylons; D009841:Oligonucleotides