Investigators using combinatorial methods are revealing the surprising
structural and functional abilities of DNA. A consequence of DNA's st
ructure-forming potential is its ability to form highly specific recep
tors and ligands, and even its ability to catalyze chemical reactions.
Unlike the classical images of double-stranded DNA, these DNA structu
res have many of the higher-ordered structural features that are found
with ribozymes and other folded RNAs. Recent research is beginning to
indicate that these new DNA structures are not rare exceptions, and t
hat DNA, despite the absence of 2' hydroxyl groups, could rival RNA in
its ability to form intricate structures and in its ability to functi
on as an enzyme.