"Metal-modified base pairs" vs. "metal-mediated pairs of bases": not just a semantic issue!
1Fakultät Für Chemie Und Chemische Biologie (CCB), Technische Universität Dortmund, 44221, Dortmund, Germany. Bernhard.Lippert@tu-dortmund.de.
Abstract:
A "nucleobase pair" is not identical with a "pair of basic ligands", as only in the first case, the existence of inter-base hydrogen bonds is implied. The cross-linking of two nucleobases or two basic ligands by a metal ion of suitable geometry produces either "metal-modified" or "metal-mediated" species, but in the author's opinion, this difference is not always properly made. This commentary is an attempt to provide a clearer distinction between the two scenarios.
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