2′ Substituted sergeants influencing the deoxy soldiers in folded oligonucleotides

• Published in: Journal of polymer science. Part A, Polymer chemistry Polymer chemistry, 2006-05, Vol.44 (10), p.3271-3278
• Main Authors: Park, Jeong-il, Roth, Shoshannah L., Price, Kristin E., McQuade, D. Tyler
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; block copolymer; Exact sciences and technology; folded polymer; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; g-quadruplex; Miscellaneous; Natural polymers; Nucleic acids; Nucleic bases, nucleotides; oligonucleotide; Physicochemistry of polymers; sergeants and soldier; topology
• ISSN: 0887-624X; 1099-0518
• DOI: 10.1002/pola.21404

We demonstrate that conformational‐biased monomers can alter neighboring monomer conformation leading to globe changes in polymer topology. This work is compared to the “sergeants and soldiers” effect observed when a small percentage of optically active monomers control a polymer's helical handedness. Specifically, we show that one biased monomer in a sequence of flexible monomers yields an oligonucleotide block copolymer that folds into two topologies with competitive free energies and activation barriers (from an unfolded state). Double substitutions, on the other hand, have varying degrees of influence depending on the position of the second substitution. Substitutions within the same guanosine block have a lesser effect relative to substitutions in different blocks. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3271–3278, 2006 We demonstrate that conformational‐biased monomers can alter neighboring monomer conformation leading to global changes in polymer topology. We compare this work to the “sergeants and soldiers” effect. Specifically, we show that one biased monomer in a sequence of flexible monomers yields an oligonucleotide block copolymer that folds into two topologies with competitive free energies and activation barriers (from an unfolded state). Double substitutions, on the other hand, have varying degrees of influence depending on the position of the second substitution. Substitutions within the same guanosine block have a lesser effect relative to substitutions in different blocks. [Color figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at www. interscience.wiley.com.]