Project Info

Sigma-Hole Bonding Unnatural DNA Base Pairs

C. Michael McGuirk | cmmcguirk@mines.edu

Hydrogen bond (HB)-driven base pairing between A–T and G–C is the means through which genetic information is stored, translated, and passed down through generations. Therefore, the discovery of synthetic nucleotides that form unnatural base pairs through alternative or unconventional non-covalent attractions would expand the genetic alphabet, dramatically increasing information storage and function in DNA. This proposal seeks to establish non-covalent sigma-hole bonding as a modular and predictable platform for unnatural base pairing, with the ultimate goal of achieving a new class of high-fidelity base pairs compatible with endogenous cellular machinery. The development of sigma hole bonding base pairing will influence many aspects of DNA-based technologies, including nanomaterials assembly, detection and therapy, and achieving form and function in semi-synthetic organisms. Moreover, this work will yield a greater fundamental comprehension of chalcogen, pnictogen and tetrel bonding, emergent sub-classes of sigma-hole interactions

For more information:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleic_acid_analogue