Abstrakt
A set of four 9-mer oligonucleotide duplexes based on 5 -d(GTG ATA TGC)-3 oligonucleotide and four its RNA complements with the central base N=A,C,U,G has been proposed and verified as a suitable model system for the investigation binding specificity of novel oligonucleotide analogues (candidates for antisense use) to fully complementary sequences. Difference Raman spectra between the mismatch and match duplexes obtained at 15°C sensitively indicate structural changes within the mismatch site.
Investigation of the modified DNA oligonucleotide revealed that insertion of a methylene group next to the central thymidine at 5'-site enhance structural complementarity with the fully complementary RNA oligonucleotide.