NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Nucleic acid duplexes incorporating a dissociable covalent base pairWe have used molecular modeling techniques to design a dissociable covalently bonded base pair that can replace a Watson-Crick base pair in a nucleic acid with minimal distortion of the structure of the double helix. We introduced this base pair into a potential precursor of a nucleic acid double helix by chemical synthesis and have demonstrated efficient nonenzymatic template-directed ligation of the free hydroxyl groups of the base pair with appropriate short oligonucleotides. The nonenzymatic ligation reactions, which are characteristic of base paired nucleic acid structures, are abolished when the covalent base pair is reduced and becomes noncoplanar. This suggests that the covalent base pair linking the two strands in the duplex is compatible with a minimally distorted nucleic acid double-helical structure.
Document ID
20040141727
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Gao, K.
(The Salk Institute for Biological Studies 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States)
Orgel, L. E.
Bada, J. L.
Date Acquired
August 22, 2013
Publication Date
December 21, 1999
Publication Information
Publication: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume: 96
Issue: 26
ISSN: 0027-8424
Subject Category
Exobiology
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Non-NASA Center
NASA Discipline Exobiology

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available