The α-L-threofuranosyl-(3′-2′)-oligonucleotide system ('TNA'):: Synthesis and pairing properties

Our Studies of (alpha-L-Threofuranosyl-(3' - 2')-oligonucleotides ('TNA') are part of a systematic experimental inquiry into the base-pairing properties of potentially natural nucleic acid alternatives taken from RNA's close structural neighborhood, TNA is an efficient Watson-Crick base-pairing system and has the capability of informational cross-pairing with both RNA and DNA, This property, together with the system's constitutional and ( presumed) generational simplicity. warrants special scrutiny of TNA in the context of the search for chemical clues to RNA's origin.