title: Boranophosphate nucleic acids--a versatile DNA backbone.
abstract: Important chemical and biochemical properties of boranophosphate DNA and RNA oligonucleotides are reviewed. Stereoregular boranophosphate oligomers can be synthesized enzymatically and form stable duplexes with DNA. Fully boronated, non-stereoregular oligothymidylates, synthesized chemically, form hybrids with poly(A) that have lower melting points than oligothymidylate:poly(A), yet they nevertheless can support the RNase H mediated cleavage of RNA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0346, USA.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rait
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sergueev
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Summers
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krzyzanowska
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D001896:Boron Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001896:Boron Compounds; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D004247:DNA