title: Structural studies on LNA quadruplexes.
abstract: LNAs (locked nucleic acids) are new DNA analogues with higher binding affinities toward nucleic acids than the canonical counterparts mainly due to the characteristic conformational restriction arising from the 2'-O, 4'-C methylene bridge. In light of the promising therapeutic applications and considering the advantageous characteristics of LNAs, such as their high water solubility, easy handling, and synthetic accessibility through the conventional phosphoramidite chemistry, we undertook a study concerning the capability of these nucleic acid analogues to form quadruplex structures. Particularly, we have been investigating the LNA/DNA chimeras corresponding to the well-known DNA sequences 5-GGTTGGTGTGGTTGG-3', capable of forming an unimolecular quadruplex. This article deals with the study of the sequence 5'-ggTTggTGTggTTgg-3' (upper and lower case letters represent DNA and LNA residues, respectively), which, according to CD spectroscopy, is able to fold into a quadruplex structure.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica delle Sostanze Naturali, Università, degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Randazzo
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ohlenschläger
authors.forename: Ramaduran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramachandran
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Virgilio
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mayol
mesh_terms: D002942:Circular Dichroism / Q000379:methods; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000737:chemistry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008697:Methane / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000379:methods; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D009692:Nucleic Acid Heteroduplexes; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature; D013917:Thrombin / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons; D009692:Nucleic Acid Heteroduplexes; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; C434331:phosphoramidite; C030011:carbene; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA; D013917:Thrombin; D008697:Methane