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Nucleic Acid Structure01:25

Nucleic Acid Structure

The pentose sugar in DNA is deoxyribose, while in RNA the pentose sugar is ribose. The difference between the sugars is the presence of the hydroxyl group on the ribose's second carbon and a hydrogen on the deoxyribose's second carbon. The phosphate residue attaches to the hydroxyl group of the 5′ carbon of one sugar and the hydroxyl group of the 3′ carbon of the sugar of the next nucleotide, which forms  a 5′ to 3′ phosphodiester linkage.
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The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the properties that they exhibit. Additionally,...
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The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the properties that they exhibit. Additionally,...
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Proteins are one of the most abundant organic molecules in living systems and have the most diverse range of functions of all macromolecules. Proteins may be structural, regulatory, contractile, or protective. They may serve in transport, storage, or membranes; or they may be toxins or enzymes. Their structures, like their functions, vary greatly. They are all, however, amino acid polymers arranged in a linear sequence.
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Single- and double-stranded helical polymers: synthesis, structures, and functions.

Eiji Yashima1, Katsuhiro Maeda, Yoshio Furusho

  • 1Yashima Super-structured Helix Project, Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology (ERATO), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Japan. yashima@apchem.nagoya-u.ac.jp

Accounts of Chemical Research
|August 12, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Chemists synthesized novel synthetic polymers with controlled helicity, including rare double-stranded helical structures. This research advances the creation and structural determination of functional helical macromolecules.

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Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level

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Area of Science:

  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Supramolecular Chemistry
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Biological macromolecules like DNA and proteins feature specific helical structures essential for their functions.
  • Synthetic polymers with controlled helicity are sought to mimic biological functions, but double-stranded helical polymers remain scarce.
  • Accurate determination of synthetic helical polymer structures is crucial but challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop new methods for constructing double-stranded helical polymers.
  • To establish reliable techniques for unambiguously determining helical polymer structures.
  • To explore the synthesis, structure, and function of single- and double-stranded helical polymers.

Main Methods:

  • Noncovalent helicity induction using chiral guests to amplify chirality in dynamic polymers.
  • Synthesis of rigid-rod helical poly(phenylacetylene)s and poly(phenyl isocyanide)s.
  • Atomic force microscopy (AFM) for visualizing helical structures, pitch, and handedness.
  • Modular strategy using chiral amidinium-carboxylate salt bridges for complementary double helix construction.
  • Characterization via circular dichroism, X-ray diffraction, and AFM.
  • Self-assembly studies of oligoresorcinols in water.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated noncovalent helicity induction and observed macromolecular helical memory.
  • Achieved self-assembly of liquid crystalline polymers into 2D crystals with controlled helical conformations.
  • Successfully constructed complementary double helices using a modular strategy.
  • Discovered self-assembly of oligoresorcinols into double helices in water, forming rotaxanes and hetero-double helices with oligosaccharides.

Conclusions:

  • Significant progress in synthesizing and structurally characterizing single- and double-stranded helical polymers.
  • Enhanced understanding of principles governing helical conformation generation.
  • Development of novel helical polymers with specific functions based on structural insights.