peptide nucleic acid


peptide nucleic acid

Abbreviation: PNA
A synthetic nucleic acid analog in which natural nucleotide bases are linked to a peptide-like backbone instead of the sugar-phosphate backbone found in DNA and RNA. PNA has numerous uses in gene regulation, splicing, and therapy; in hybridization; and as a molecular diagnostic assay. See also: acid

peptide nucleic acid (PNA)

a POLYNUCLEOTIDE analogue, in which the sugar-phosphate backbone is replaced by amide bonds. Two strands of PNA can hybridize to form a DNA-like double-stranded helix. A strand of PNA can also hybridize with a normal polynucleotide and this property may be exploited in DNA MICROARRAYS.