Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt.
Molecules. 2023 Jan 14;28(2):843. doi: 10.3390/molecules28020843.
Despite structural differences between the right-handed conformations of A-RNA and B-DNA, both nucleic acids adopt very similar, left-handed Z-conformations. In contrast to their structural similarities and sequence preferences, RNA and DNA exhibit differences in their ability to adopt the Z-conformation regarding their hydration shells, the chemical modifications that promote the Z-conformation, and the structure of junctions connecting them to right-handed segments. In this review, we highlight the structural and chemical properties of both Z-DNA and Z-RNA and delve into the potential factors that contribute to both their similarities and differences. While Z-DNA has been extensively studied, there is a gap of knowledge when it comes to Z-RNA. Where such information is lacking, we try and extend the principles of Z-DNA stability and formation to Z-RNA, considering the inherent differences of the nucleic acids.
尽管右手构象的 A-RNA 和 B-DNA 之间存在结构差异，但这两种核酸都采用非常相似的左手 Z 构象。与它们的结构相似性和序列偏好相反，RNA 和 DNA 在其水合壳、促进 Z 构象的化学修饰以及连接它们与右手片段的接头结构方面，在采用 Z 构象的能力方面表现出差异。在这篇综述中，我们强调了 Z-DNA 和 Z-RNA 的结构和化学性质，并深入探讨了促成它们相似性和差异性的潜在因素。虽然 Z-DNA 已经得到了广泛的研究，但关于 Z-RNA 的知识还存在空白。在缺乏此类信息的情况下，我们尝试将 Z-DNA 稳定性和形成的原则扩展到 Z-RNA，同时考虑到核酸的内在差异。
