Chirality at phosphorus: hybrid duplexes of chimeric oligonucleotides containing methylphosphonothioate linkages with complementary DNA and RNA

Chimeric oligonucleotides with incorporated diastereomerically pure dinucleoside(3′,5′)-methylphosphonothioates and their oxo- and seleno- congeners of known absolute configuration are reported. The relation between stability of the hybrid duplexes with complementary DNA and RNA and their structure is analyzed in context of absolute configuration of the P-chiral internucleotide bonds.