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Two are not enough: synthetic strategies and applications of unnatural base pairs

  • Robert Dörrenhaus ORCID logo , Philip K. Wagner ORCID logo and Stephanie Kath-Schorr ORCID logo EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: June 26, 2023

Abstract

Nucleic acid chemistry is a rapidly evolving field, and the need for novel nucleotide modifications and artificial nucleotide building blocks for diagnostic and therapeutic use, material science or for studying cellular processes continues unabated. This review focusses on the development and application of unnatural base pairs as part of an expanded genetic alphabet. Not only recent developments in “nature-like” artificial base pairs are presented, but also current synthetic methods to get access to C-glycosidic nucleotides. Wide-ranging viability in synthesis is a prerequisite for the successful use of unnatural base pairs in a broader spectrum and will be discussed.


Corresponding author: Stephanie Kath-Schorr, University of Cologne, Greinstr. 4, D-50939 Köln, Germany, E-mail:
Robert Dörrenhaus and Philip Wagner contributed equally to this article.

Funding source: Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation

Award Identifier / Grant number: Plus 3 Grant

Funding source: Juergen Manchot Foundation

Award Identifier / Grant number: PhD stipend to P.K.W.

  1. Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.

  2. Research funding: This work was supported by the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation (Plus 3 Grant) and Juergen Manchot Foundation (PhD stipend to P.K.W.).

  3. Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.

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Received: 2023-03-29
Accepted: 2023-06-05
Published Online: 2023-06-26
Published in Print: 2023-09-26

© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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