(3'NH)- and (2'NH)-TNA, two isomeric phosphoramidate analogues of TNA (alpha-threofuranosyl-(3'-->2') oligonucleotides), are shown to be efficient Watson-Crick base-pairing systems and to undergo intersystem cross-pairing with TNA, RNA, and DNA. [reaction: see text]

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As part of a project that aims at screening TNA-related oligonucleotide systems in which threose backbone units may have some or all of their oxygen functions replaced by nitrogen, two TNA analogs containing (2'NH)- and (3'NH)-phosphoramidate groups, respectively, in place of phosphodiester groups were synthesized. They show base-pairing properties that are very similar to those of TNA itself. We also synthesized 2',3'-diamino analogs of alpha-L-threofuranosyl mononucleosides, yet attempts to convert them to TNA analogs containing phosphodiamidate linker groups were not successful. Such 2',3'-diamino derivatives of threofuranosyl nucleosides may be of interest, however, as building blocks of TNA analogs that contain non-phosphorous linker groups.

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