title: Enhancement of strand invasion by oligonucleotides through manipulation of backbone charge.
abstract: The ability of DNA oligonucleotides, neutral peptide nucleic acids (PNAS), and oligonucleotide conjugates to hybridize to inverted repeat sequences within supercoiled double-stranded DNA by Watson-Crick base-pairing is examined. PNAs and oligonucleotide conjugates initiate and maintain strand invasion under more stringent conditions than do unmodified DNA oligonucleotides. PNAs hybridize rapidly and, once bound, hold open a target site allowing oligonucleotides to base-pair to the displaced strand under conditions that would otherwise preclude hybridization. The ability to manipulate hybridization efficiency through different options for the alteration of oligomer charge should have important implications for optimizing sequence-specific recognition of DNA.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, TX 75235, USA.
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Smulevitch
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Norton
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Wise
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Corey
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001482:Base Composition; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D009842:Oligopeptides; D004247:DNA