The α-L-Threofuranosyl-(3′ → 2′)-oligonucleotide system ('TNA'): Synthesis and pairing properties

Abstract

Our studies of α-L-Threofuranosyl-(3′ → 2′)-oligonucleotides ('TNA') are part of a systematic experimental inquiry into the base-pairing properties of potentially natural nucleic acid alternatives taken from RNA's close structural neighborhood. TNA is an efficient Watson-Crick base-pairing system and has the capability of informational cross-pairing with both RNA and DNA. This property, together with the system's constitutional and (presumed) generational simplicity, warrants special scrutiny of TNA in the context of the search for chemical clues to RNA's origin.