ISBN: 978-83-60043-10-3 - eurobic9

Eurobic9, 2-6 September, 2008, Wrocław, Poland
J. Müller
SL20. Oligonucleotides with Metal-ion-mediated Base Pairs:
Examples and Possible Applications
Faculty of Chemistry, Dortmund University of Technology, Otto-Hahn-Str. 6, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
e-mail: jens.mueller@tu-dortmund.de
A recently introduced method for the site-specific functionalization of nucleic acids with metal ions is based on
the formal substitution of natural nucleobases by artificial ones. The latter are designed in a way that they have
an increased affinity towards metal ions, resulting in the formation of metal-ion-mediated base pairs (see
Figure).[1] In such a construct, the oligonucleotide double helix serves as a scaffold for the arrangement of metal
ions along its helical axis. Due to their expected interesting physical properties, applications of these nucleic
acids as molecular wires and nanomagnets are envisaged.
This lecture will report recent examples of such metal-modified oligonucleotides, including the system with the
to date longest continuous stack of metal-ion-mediated base pairs [2] as well as examples for oligonucleotides
that undergo a major conformational change in the presence of appropriate metal ions.[3, 4]
Acknowledgement: Financial support by the DFG (Emmy Noether Programme (JM1750/1-3)
and ERA-Chemistry (JM1750/2-1)), the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie, COST D39, and the Faculty of
Chemistry at Dortmund University of Technology is gratefully acknowledged.
References:
[1] Review: J. Müller, Eur. J. Inorg. Chem., in press (doi: 10.1002/ejic.200800301).
[2] F.-A. Polonius, J. Müller, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 46, 5602 (2007).
[3] D. Böhme, N. Düpre, D. A. Megger, J. Müller, Inorg. Chem., 46, 10114 (2007).
[4] S. Johannsen, S. Paulus, N. Düpre, J. Müller, R. K. O. Sigel, J. Inorg. Biochem., 102, 1141 (2008).
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