Direction control in DNA binding of chiral D-lysine-based peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probed by electrospray mass spectrometry

The DNA binding abilities of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), both achiral and bearing three adjacent D-lysine-based monomers in the middle of the strand (chiral box PNA), were studied by means of electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). In contrast with achiral PNA, Chiral box PNA was confirmed to exert high direction control (antiparallel vs. parallel DNA target) in DNA binding.