Some DNA-Binding Enzymes Prefer Fake DNA to the Real Thing

They’re not DNA molecules, but they have the curves and folds they need to fool DNA-binding enzymes. If these DNA mimics can be twisted just so, they may turn out to be useful decoys, capable of misleading the enzymes deployed by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other viruses.A class of DNA mimics consisting of foldamers, or helical aromatic oligomers, is being tweaked and molded by scientists based at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich. These scientists, led by Ivan Huc