Deoxy-nucleotides have three prochiral centers -- C2', C5', and P.
This prochiral centers are carrying two identical substituents but
although it is possible to assign unambigously a unique name to
each substituent. This is done in IUPAC recommendations of 1982
(1983. Europ J Biochem, 131: 9-15.) for H2'1, H2'2 of C2' and
H5'1, H5'2 of C5'. H2'1 and H5'1 are pro-S whereas H2'2 and H5'2 are
pro-R.
DOES anybody knows if there is any recommendation for the naming of the
two phosphate oxygens OP1 and OP2 according to their position in
relation to the central P ?
The structural meaning of this would be, whether OP1 is pointing towards
the minor or the major groove in a DNA double helix.
Peter
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Peter Slickers slickers at imb-jena.de
Institut fuer Molekulare Biotechnologie
Beutenbergstrasse 11, Jena Tel.: +49-3641-65-6202
Postfach 10 08 13, D-07708 Jena, Germany Fax: +49-3641-65-6210
