Recognition of Double-Stranded DNA by Peptide Nucleic Acids

Journal article, 1997

Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) is an oligonucleotide mimic in which the backbone of DNA has been replaced by a pseudopeptide. We here show that there are distinct variations as to how PNA oligomers interact with double-stranded DNA depending on choice of nucleobases. Thymine-rich homopyrimidine PNA oligomers recognize double-stranded polynucleotides by forming PNA2-DNA triplexes with the DNA purine strand. By contrast, cytosine-rich homopyrimidine PNAs add to double-stranded polynucleotides as Hoogsteen strands, forming PNA-DNA2 triplexes, while homopurine, or alternating thymine-guanine, PNA oligomers invade DNA to form PNA-DNA duplexes.