Chemistry Laboratory of Artificial Biomolecules (CLAB), Graduate School of Engineering, Gunma University, Kiryu, Gunma, Japan.
Molecules. 2010 Aug 9;15(8):5423-44. doi: 10.3390/molecules15085423.
Nucleic acids are attractive materials for creating functional molecules that have applications as catalysts, specific binders, and molecular switches. Nucleic acids having such functions can be obtained by random screening, typically using in vitro selection methods. These methods have helped explore the potential abilities of nucleic acids and steadily contributed to their evolution, i.e., creation of RNA/DNA enzymes, aptamers, and aptazymes. Chemical modification would be a key means to further increase their performance, e.g., expansion of function diversity, enhancement of activity, and improvement of biostability for biological use. Indeed, in the past two decades, random screening involving chemical modification, post-SELEX chemical modification, and rational design methods have been advanced, and combining and integrating these methods may produce a new class of functional nucleic acids. This review focuses on the effectiveness of chemical modifications on the evolution of nucleic acids as functional molecules and the outlook for related technologies.
核酸是一种很有吸引力的材料，可用于构建具有催化、特异结合和分子开关等功能的分子。具有这些功能的核酸可以通过随机筛选获得，通常使用体外选择方法。这些方法有助于探索核酸的潜在能力，并稳步促进其进化，例如，获得 RNA/DNA 酶、适体和适体酶。化学修饰将是进一步提高其性能的关键手段，例如，扩大功能多样性、提高活性和改善生物稳定性以用于生物用途。事实上，在过去的二十年中，涉及化学修饰、SELEX 后化学修饰和合理设计方法的随机筛选已经得到了推进，并且这些方法的结合和整合可能会产生一类新的功能核酸。本文重点讨论了化学修饰在核酸作为功能分子的进化中的有效性，以及相关技术的展望。
