REDESIGNING NUCLEIC-ACIDS

A research program has applied the tools of synthetic organic chemistr y to systematically modify the structure of DNA and RNA oligonucleotid es to learn more about the chemical principles underlying their abilit y to store and transmit genetic information. Oligonucleotides (as oppo sed to nucleosides) have long been overlooked by synthetic organic che mists as targets for structural modification. Synthetic chemistry has now yielded oligonucleotides with 12 replicatable letters, modified ba ckbones, and new insight into why Nature chose the oligonucleotide str uctures that she did.