Benzene-glycol nucleic acid (BGNA)-DNA chimeras: Synthesis, binding properties, and ability to elicit human RNase H activity

Abstract

This paper describes the synthesis and properties of benzene-glycol nucleic acid (BGNA)-DNA chimeras containing four nucleoside analogs-thymidine, cytidine, adenosine, and guanosine-with a base-benzene-glycol structure. We found that the BGNA-DNA chimeras are able to form thermally and thermodynamically stable duplexes with complementary RNAs, and have base-discriminating abilities. The BGNA-DNA chimeras were 20-fold more stable in a buffer containing 30% bovine serum than unmodified DNA. Furthermore, BGNA-DNA chimera/RNA duplexes were found to be good substrates for human RNase H. Thus, BGNA-DNA chimeras are good candidates for the development of therapeutic antisense molecules.