Synthesis and characterization of PNA oligomers containing preQ1 as a positively charged guanine analogue.

[Display omitted] We report the synthesis of a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) monomer containing preQ 1 , a positively charged guanine analogue. The new monomer was incorporated into PNA oligomers using standard Fmoc-chemistry-based solid-phase synthesis. The preQ 1 unit-containing PNA oligomers exhibited improved affinity for their complementary DNA through electrostatic attraction, and their sequence specificity was not compromised. It could be beneficial to incorporate preQ 1 into PNA oligomers instead of guanine when creating antisense/antigene agents or research tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]