title: Exploring the role of chirality in nucleic acid recognition.
abstract: The study of the base-pairing properties of nucleic acids with sugar moieties in the backbone belonging to the L-series (β-L-DNA, β-L-RNA, and their analogs) are reviewed. The major structural factors underlying the formation of stable heterochiral complexes obtained by incorporation of modified nucleotides into natural duplexes, or by hybridization between homochiral strands of opposite sense of chirality are highlighted. In addition, the perspective use of L-nucleic acids as candidates for various therapeutic applications, or as tools for both synthetic biology and etiology-oriented investigations on the structure and stereochemistry of natural nucleic acids is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica Organica e Biochimica, Università di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte Sant'Angelo, via Cinthia, 4, I-80126 Napoli. dandalonzo@unina.it
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Alonzo
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guaragna
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palumbo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020029:Base Pairing; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D009696:Nucleic Acids