PEPTIDE NUCLEIC ACID-DNA DUPLEXES - LONG-RANGE HOLE MIGRATION FROM ANINTERNALLY LINKED ANTHRAQUINONE

The discovery that peptide nucleic acids (PNA) mimic DNA and RNA by fo rming complementary duplex structures following Watson-Crick base pair ing rules opens fields in biochemistry, diagnostics, and medicine for exploration. Progress requires the development of modified PNA duplexe s having unique and well defined properties, We find that anthraquinon e groups bound to internal positions of a PNA oligomer intercalate in the PNA-DNA hybrid, Their irradiation with near-UV light leads to elec tron transfer and oxidative damage at remote GG doublets on the comple mentary DNA strand. This behavior mimics that observed in related DNA duplexes and provides the first evidence for long range electron (hole ) transport in PNA-DNA hybrid, Analysis of the mechanism for electron transport supports hole hopping.