title: Self-assembling sequence-adaptive peptide nucleic acids.
abstract: Several classes of nucleic acid analogs have been reported, but no synthetic informational polymer has yet proven responsive to selection pressures under enzyme-free conditions. Here, we introduce an oligomer family that efficiently self-assembles by means of reversible covalent anchoring of nucleobase recognition units onto simple oligo-dipeptide backbones [thioester peptide nucleic acids (tPNAs)] and undergoes dynamic sequence modification in response to changing templates in solution. The oligomers specifically self-pair with complementary tPNA strands and cross-pair with RNA and DNA in Watson-Crick fashion. Thus, tPNA combines base-pairing interactions with the side-chain functionalities of typical peptides and proteins. These characteristics might prove advantageous for the design or selection of catalytic constructs or biomaterials that are capable of dynamic sequence repair and adaptation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ura
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Beierle
authors.forename: Luke J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Leman
authors.forename: Leslie E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Orgel
authors.forename: M Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ghadiri
mesh_terms: D000225:Adenine / Q000737:chemistry; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D020029:Base Pairing; D001483:Base Sequence; D019921:Biotinylation; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000737:chemistry; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry; D020135:Peptide Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D004151:Dipeptides; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D020135:Peptide Nucleic Acids; D010455:Peptides; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA; D000225:Adenine