TITLE:
Modified RNA with a Phosphate-Methylated Backbone. A Serious Omission in Our (Retracted) Study at HIV-1 RNA Loops and Integrated DNA. Specific Properties of the (Modified) RNA and DNA Dimers
AUTHORS:
Henk M. Buck
KEYWORDS:
Phosphate-Methylated RNA and DNA, Conformational Study, Replication and Transcription Inhibition, Chemistry of DNA Dimers during Crystallization, 5-Substituted Cytosines in DNA, Conflicting Structural Determinations, Duchenne
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biophysical Chemistry,
Vol.7 No.1,
February
18,
2016
ABSTRACT: After the recent publication in the Journal of Biophysical Chemistry entitled “Retracted HIV Study Provides New Information about the Status of the in Vitro Inhibition of DNA Replication by Back-bone Methylation”, it is of importance to review the results of Buck’s group on the synthesis and conformation analyses of phosphate-methylated RNAs in order to afford information on the absence of a further investigation with regard to this de facto acceptable approach. In fact these compounds belong to the very first group of RNAs with a modified neutral backbone by phosphatemethylation. In contrast to the corresponding phosphate-methylated DNAs with a frozen B-conformation, the phosphate-methylated RNAs show an A-conformation. The latter is a prerequisite for duplex formation with (complementary) (natural) RNA. A number of experiments support this fundamental statement. After the HIV study was retracted, the overall results concerning the phosphate-methylated RNAs were published without mentioning Buck’s initial proof of concept and his contributions. Generally, the (modified) dimer RNAs and DNAs possess a number of specific biophysical properties. A novel explanation is given for conflicting structural determinations.