title: Enhanced recognition of non-complementary hybridization by single-LNA-modified oligonucleotide probes.
abstract: Locked nucleic acid (LNA) is a deoxyribonucleotide analogue with an unusual 'locked' furanose conformation. LNA-modified oligonucleotide probes have demonstrated an enhanced binding affinity towards their complementary strands; however, their potential to discriminate non-complementary hybridization of mismatches has not been explored. In this study, we investigated the effect of the chemical nature of LNA nucleobases on the hybridization stability and the capability of LNA-modified oligonucleotides to discriminate the LNA:DNA mismatched base pairs. It was observed that LNA modification indeed improves the discrimination capability of oligonucleotides by increasing the melting temperature differences between the complementary duplexes and hybrids containing mismatches. Particularly, LNA purines offer a greater potential to recognize the mismatches than LNA pyrimidines and DNA purines. Real-time PCR experiments further confirmed that LNA modifications at the 3'-end are more effective. The results and conclusions in this study provide useful information for hybridization-based nucleic acid analysis where designing sound oligonucleotide probes is crucial to the success of the analyses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, China Medical University, No. 92 North 2nd Street, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, China.
authors.forename: XianYu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: YiFu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guan
mesh_terms: D020137:Base Pair Mismatch; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization / Q000379:methods*; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D044366:Transition Temperature
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D009841:Oligonucleotides; C477371:locked nucleic acid