DNA Delivery to Cells in Culture Using PNA Clamps

Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) is a DNA mimic in which the deoxyribose phosphate backbone has been replaced by N -(2-aminoethyl) glycine linkages. PNAs, first described by Nielsen et al. in 1991 (1 ), possess a number of useful properties including rapid and high-affinity binding to DNA, RNA, and PNA, resistance to degradation by nucleases and proteases and poor affinity for proteins that normally bind nucleic acids. For these reasons and others, PNA has been proposed for use as a therapeutic agent in controlling gene expression through either antisense or antigene activity.