Recent progress in non-native nucleic acid modifications

While Nature harnesses RNA and DNA to store, read and write genetic information, the inherent programmability, synthetic accessibility and wide functionality of these nucleic acids make them attractive tools for use in a vast array of applications.

2-Aminopyridine as a Nucleobase Substitute for Adenine in DNA-like Architectures: Synthesis of Alkynyl C-Nucleotides and Their Hybridization Characteristics

Halogenated 2-aminopyridine was attached to the acetylene terminal of ethynyl C-2-deoxy-β-d-ribofuranoside as a nucleobase substitute, and then, the C-nucleoside was incorporated into natural DNAs. The resulting chimeric DNA constructed double helical structures with the complementary chimeric DNA. In the duplex, 2-aminopyridine functioned as an adenine analogue that formed a base pair with a non-natural thymine isostere. Artificial homooligomers were also prepared only from the adenine-type C-nucleoside and proven to form completely artificial double helices with the corresponding artificial thymine-type homooligomers.