title: Sugar modification as a means to increase the biological performance of oligonucleotides.
abstract: Modification of the ribose unit in DNA and RNA profoundly influences the self-rcognition and the biological properties of the nucleic acids. Conformational restriction of the ribose units, as in LNA and tricyclo-DNA, has been identified as a powerful tool to increase DNA and RNA affinity as well as biological stability and antisense properties. Apart from that sugar modified DNA analogues, as homo-DNA, have shown to be orthogonal base-pairing systems which by virtue of non-crosscommunicating with the natural nucleic acids open novel applications in biotechnology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christian J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Leumann
mesh_terms: D015342:DNA Probes / Q000737:chemistry; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry*; D020319:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides, Antisense / Q000737:chemistry; D012266:Ribose / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D020319:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides, Antisense; D012266:Ribose