CuII-mediated DNA base pairing of a triazole-4-carboxylate nucleoside prepared by click chemistry

Abstract

Artificial metal-mediated DNA base pairing is a promising strategy for creating highly functionalized DNA supramolecules. Here we report a novel ligand-type triazole-4-carboxylate (Taz^C) nucleoside that is readily prepared by the click reaction. Taz^C nucleosides were found to form a stable Taz^C–Cu^II–Taz^C base pair inside DNA duplexes, resulting in Cu^II-specific duplex stabilization (ΔT_m = +7.7 °C). This study demonstrates that the triazole derivatives are useful in the development of metal-mediated base pairing.