DNA as Platform for New Biomaterials. Metal-Containing Nucleic Acids

A productive approach for the incorporation of metal centers into nucleic acids providing new materials must be versatile, modular and synthetically simple. Metal complex-containing DNA-oligomers are predominantly constructed via three major pathways: a) the synthesis of a chelator-containing oligonucleotide followed by metal complexation, b) the synthesis of an end-functionalized oligonucleotide to which a metal complex can be conjugated, and c) the synthesis of nucleoside/metal complex conjugates followed by incorporation of the metal bearing synthon into DNA using automated DNA synthesis on solid support. Representative examples of these methodologies are described together with brief account of selected practical applications of metal bearing DNA-oligomers.