title: Biological activity and biotechnological aspects of peptide nucleic acid.
abstract: During the latest decades a number of different nucleic acid analogs containing natural nucleobases on a modified backbone have been synthesized. An example of this is peptide nucleic acid (PNA), a DNA mimic with a noncyclic peptide-like backbone, which was first synthesized in 1991. Owing to its flexible and neutral backbone PNA displays very good hybridization properties also at low-ion concentrations and has subsequently attracted large interest both in biotechnology and biomedicine. Numerous modifications have been made, which could be of value for particular settings. However, the original PNA does so far perform well in many diverse applications. The high biostability makes it interesting for in vivo use, although the very limited diffusion over lipid membranes requires further modifications in order to make it suitable for treatment in eukaryotic cells. The possibility to use this nucleic acid analog for gene regulation and gene editing is discussed. Peptide nucleic acid is now also used for specific genetic detection in a number of diagnostic techniques, as well as for site-specific labeling and hybridization of functional molecules to both DNA and RNA, areas that are also discussed in this chapter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Karin E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Lundin
authors.forename: Liam
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Good
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Strömberg
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gräslund
authors.forename: C I Edvard
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008081:Liposomes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D020135:Peptide Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012313:RNA / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012326:RNA Splicing / Q000187:drug effects; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000187:drug effects; D019098:Telomerase / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D008081:Liposomes; D020135:Peptide Nucleic Acids; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D012313:RNA; D019098:Telomerase