Hoogsteen-paired homopurine [RP-PS]-DNA and homopyrimidine RNA strands form a thermally stable parallel duplex.

Homopurine deoxyribonucleoside phosphorothioates possessing all internucleotide linkages of R(P) configuration form a duplex with an RNA or 2'-OMe-RNA strand with Hoogsteen complementarity. The duplexes formed with RNA templates are thermally stable at pH 5.3, while those formed with a 2'-OMe-RNA are stable at neutrality.

Effect of base modifications on structure, thermodynamic stability, and gene silencing activity of short interfering RNA.

A series of nucleobase-modified siRNA duplexes containing "rare" nucleosides, 2-thiouridine (s(2)U), pseudouridine (Psi), and dihydrouridine (D), were evaluated for their thermodynamic stability and gene silencing activity. The duplexes with modified units at terminal positions exhibited similar stability as the nonmodified reference. Introduction of the s(2)U or Psi units into the central part of the antisense strand resulted in duplexes with higher melting temperatures (Tm).

Mapping of the functional phosphate groups in the catalytic core of deoxyribozyme 10-23.

The RNA phosphodiester bond cleavage activity of a series of 16 thio-deoxyribozymes 10-23, containing a P-stereorandom single phosphorothioate linkage in predetermined positions of the catalytic core from P1 to P16, was evaluated under single-turnover conditions in the presence of either 3 mM Mg(2+) or 3 mM Mn(2+). A metal-specificity switch approach permitted the identification of nonbridging phosphate oxygens (proR(P) or proS(P)) located at seven positions of the core (P2, P4 and P9-13) involved in direct coordination with a divalent metal ion(s). By contrast, phosphorothioates at positions P3, P6, P7 and P14-16 displayed no functional relevance in the deoxyribozyme-mediated catalysis.