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Title: Hachimoji DNA and RNA: A genetic system with eight building blocks

Abstract

We report DNA- and RNA-like systems built from eight nucleotide “letters” (hence the name “hachimoji”) that form four orthogonal pairs. These synthetic systems meet the structural requirements needed to support Darwinian evolution, including a polyelectrolyte backbone, predictable thermodynamic stability, and stereoregular building blocks that fit a Schrödinger aperiodic crystal. Measured thermodynamic parameters predict the stability of hachimoji duplexes, allowing hachimoji DNA to increase the information density of natural terran DNA. Three crystal structures show that the synthetic building blocks do not perturb the aperiodic crystal seen in the DNA double helix. Hachimoji DNA was then transcribed to give hachimoji RNA in the form of a functioning fluorescent hachimoji aptamer. These results expand the scope of molecular structures that might support life, including life throughout the cosmos.

Authors:
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Publication Date:
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1547949
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-76SF00515
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Science
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Science Journal Volume: 363 Journal Issue: 6429; Journal ID: ISSN 0036-8075
Publisher:
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Citation Formats

Hoshika, Shuichi, Leal, Nicole A., Kim, Myong-Jung, Kim, Myong-Sang, Karalkar, Nilesh B., Kim, Hyo-Joong, Bates, Alison M., Watkins, Jr., Norman E., SantaLucia, Holly A., Meyer, Adam J., DasGupta, Saurja, Piccirilli, Joseph A., Ellington, Andrew D., SantaLucia, Jr., John, Georgiadis, Millie M., and Benner, Steven A. Hachimoji DNA and RNA: A genetic system with eight building blocks. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1126/science.aat0971.
Hoshika, Shuichi, Leal, Nicole A., Kim, Myong-Jung, Kim, Myong-Sang, Karalkar, Nilesh B., Kim, Hyo-Joong, Bates, Alison M., Watkins, Jr., Norman E., SantaLucia, Holly A., Meyer, Adam J., DasGupta, Saurja, Piccirilli, Joseph A., Ellington, Andrew D., SantaLucia, Jr., John, Georgiadis, Millie M., & Benner, Steven A. Hachimoji DNA and RNA: A genetic system with eight building blocks. United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat0971
Hoshika, Shuichi, Leal, Nicole A., Kim, Myong-Jung, Kim, Myong-Sang, Karalkar, Nilesh B., Kim, Hyo-Joong, Bates, Alison M., Watkins, Jr., Norman E., SantaLucia, Holly A., Meyer, Adam J., DasGupta, Saurja, Piccirilli, Joseph A., Ellington, Andrew D., SantaLucia, Jr., John, Georgiadis, Millie M., and Benner, Steven A. Thu . "Hachimoji DNA and RNA: A genetic system with eight building blocks". United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat0971.
@article{osti_1547949,
title = {Hachimoji DNA and RNA: A genetic system with eight building blocks},
author = {Hoshika, Shuichi and Leal, Nicole A. and Kim, Myong-Jung and Kim, Myong-Sang and Karalkar, Nilesh B. and Kim, Hyo-Joong and Bates, Alison M. and Watkins, Jr., Norman E. and SantaLucia, Holly A. and Meyer, Adam J. and DasGupta, Saurja and Piccirilli, Joseph A. and Ellington, Andrew D. and SantaLucia, Jr., John and Georgiadis, Millie M. and Benner, Steven A.},
abstractNote = {We report DNA- and RNA-like systems built from eight nucleotide “letters” (hence the name “hachimoji”) that form four orthogonal pairs. These synthetic systems meet the structural requirements needed to support Darwinian evolution, including a polyelectrolyte backbone, predictable thermodynamic stability, and stereoregular building blocks that fit a Schrödinger aperiodic crystal. Measured thermodynamic parameters predict the stability of hachimoji duplexes, allowing hachimoji DNA to increase the information density of natural terran DNA. Three crystal structures show that the synthetic building blocks do not perturb the aperiodic crystal seen in the DNA double helix. Hachimoji DNA was then transcribed to give hachimoji RNA in the form of a functioning fluorescent hachimoji aptamer. These results expand the scope of molecular structures that might support life, including life throughout the cosmos.},
doi = {10.1126/science.aat0971},
journal = {Science},
number = 6429,
volume = 363,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Feb 21 00:00:00 EST 2019},
month = {Thu Feb 21 00:00:00 EST 2019}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
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https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat0971

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