Labelling of DNA and RNA in the cellular environment by means of bioorthogonal cycloaddition chemistry.

Labelling of nucleic acids as biologically important cellular components is a crucial prerequisite for the visualization and understanding of biological processes. Efficient bioorthogonal chemistry and in particular cycloadditions fullfill the requirements for cellular applications. The broadly applied Cu(i)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), however, is limited to labellings and in fixed cells due to the cytotoxicity of copper salts.

Postsynthetic Modifications of DNA and RNA by Means of Copper-Free Cycloadditions as Bioorthogonal Reactions.

Bioorthogonal chemistry has mainly been developed for proteins and carbohydrates. The chemistry of nucleic acids is different, and bioorthogonal labeling strategies that were successfully applied for proteins and carbohydrates cannot be simply transferred to DNA and RNA. Cycloadditions play a central role for bioorthogonal chemistry with nucleic acids.