Nucleic acids are the structural supports of genetic material andtherefore the key factors in many vital cellular processes. Thedouble-stranded right-handed helix is a regular conformation adoptedby both DNA and RNA in cells, but an increasing number of resultspoint to the biological importance of alternative structures such asbulges, hairpins, branched junctions or quadruplexes. Progress in thechemical synthesis of oligonucleotides and in The knowledge of thefactors that favour a particular Conformation has opened new fieldsof research in molec- Ular recognition and drug design.
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