AN UNNATURAL BAsE pAiR sYsTEM FOR ThE ExpANsiON OF GENETic iNFORMATiON

Expansion of the genetic alphabet by unnatural base pair systems is an attractive future biotechnology.1 DNA fragments containing unnatural base pairs function as templates for the site-specific incorporation of extra components into nucleic acids and proteins by biosyntheses, according to the Central Dogma of molecular biology replication, transcription, and translation. Nucleic acids and proteins with extra components at specific positions could exhibit novel or increased functionality, which would be useful for both basic research and applied sciences. Several researchers have been actively developing such unnatural base pairs, some of which display unique abilities in duplex DNA and in nucleic acid and protein biosyntheses.2-5 Glen Research is already a source for nucleoside derivatives related to unnatural base pairs, such as dP, dK, 5-Me-isodC, and isodG. Now we are adding to our lineup the amidites of dDs, dPa, and ds, the elements for a new unnatural base pair system.