Chemistry of Nucleic Acids: From Structure to Biological Interactions
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 818
Special Issue Editors
Interests: ruthenium complexes; platinum complexes; benzodifuran compounds; anticancer drugs; nanosystems; nanomaterials; oligonucleotides; G-quadruplex; aptamers; thrombin binding aptamers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Nucleic acids, primarily DNA and RNA, are versatile structures crucial for cellular function and regulation as well as for genetic information storage and transmission. Beyond their well-known canonical structures, such as the double helix of DNA and the single-stranded form of RNA, these molecules exhibit a wide range of noncanonical conformations, including G-quadruplexes, i-motifs, and triplexes, which are essential for biological regulation and interaction with other biomolecules.
The chemistry of nucleic acid structures can influence their biological activities and interactions with proteins, lipids, small molecules, and other nucleic acids. Understanding these interactions is crucial for developing novel therapeutic approaches and gaining deeper insights into cellular processes.
In addition, nucleic acids can themselves be therapeutic agents, which act as aptamers, and, thus, binds to high-affinity specific protein targets involved in the most important diseases.
This Special Issue of Molecules will include both regular articles and reviews, and it aims to explore the latest advancements in the chemical understanding of nucleic acids, from their intrinsic structural features to their dynamic interactions with other biomolecules. This Special Issue will focus on both canonical and noncanonical nucleic acid structures, highlighting their roles in cellular processes and therapeutic applications.
Contributions dealing with nucleic acid structure, stability, and interactions with other biomolecules are of great relevance to this Special Issue. Studies concerning nucleic acids with potential applications in therapy, diagnostics, and analytics are particularly welcome. Contributions focused on the molecular mechanisms that govern nucleic acid folding, stability, and recognition will be also highly appreciated.
Topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:
- chemistry of nucleic acids;
- synthesis/improvement of nucleic acid structures;
- physicochemical studies, thermodynamics, and kinetics of nucleic acids;
- aptamers and their functional role in aptamer-related diseases;
- interactions of nucleic acid structures with other components, ranging from small molecules to large proteins;
- nucleic acids in the development of drug delivery systems.
Dr. Claudia Riccardi
Guest Editor
Dr. Federica D'Aria
Guest Editor Assistant
Manuscript Submission Information
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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- nucleic acid structures and function
- modified nucleic acids
- nucleic acid-targeting ligands
- physicochemical studies of nucleic acids
- thermodynamics and kinetics of nucleic acid structures
- structure–function relationship of nucleic acids
- nucleic acid–protein interactions
- aptamers
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