title: Deoxyribonucleotides: the unusual chemistry and biochemistry of DNA precursors.
abstract: Deoxyribonucleotides, monomers of macromolecular DNA and the chemical matter of genes, have received surprisingly little attention among chemists and molecular biologists alike, although their origin, properties, and mechanism of enzyme-catalyzed formation bear unique chemical traits which are the basis of DNA replication. Apart from providing insights in bioorganic free radical chemistry, present interest in deoxyribonucleotides stems from the expected demand of hundreds of kilograms per year for DNA chips and antisense constructs used in gene therapy, difficult to produce by conventional methods. A novel approach towards deoxyribonucleotide, and hence DNA formation in a putative primordial 'RNA world' has also recently emerged.
authors.affiliation: Fachbereich Chemie-Biologie der Universität, 34109 Kassel, Germany. hfollman@uni-kassel.de
authors.forename: Hartmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Follmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D032701:Biomimetics; D002384:Catalysis; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004261:DNA Replication; D016373:DNA, Antisense / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D003854:Deoxyribonucleotides / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D003855:Deoxyribose / Q000737:chemistry; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D009694:Nucleic Acid Precursors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016373:DNA, Antisense; D003854:Deoxyribonucleotides; D009694:Nucleic Acid Precursors; D003855:Deoxyribose; D004247:DNA; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases