Xeno nucleic acid

A Xenonukleinsäure (short XNA) is an artificial version of the natural nucleic acids DNA and RNA, and therefore part of synthetic biology. The development of six different this artificial XNA nucleotides was submitted by Vitor B. Pinheiro and colleagues for publication in December 2011.

Construction

The difference between the XNA and DNA or RNA is that the nucleotides making up the nucleic acid do not contain ribose, but a hexose. Equal to the phosphate backbone and the four or six different bases adenine (A ), guanine (G), thymine (T), cytosine (C ), and pyrimidine, and uracil (U).

Basic structure of a natural nucleotide ( see nucleotides)

Properties and potential use

XNA can interact with a natural nucleic acid, but is much more stable against degradation of nucleic acid mechanisms, since there is no natural enzymes that would be suitable for the degradation of hexosebasierten nucleotides. Thus this form of genetic information carrier itself could use to highlight viral or bacterial genomes or genome segments.

Swell

• Nina Weber: Researchers create artificial DNA alternatives. Spiegel Online, April 19, 2012.
• Synthetic Biology - What is it?