TITLE:
Retracted HIV Study Provides New Information about the Status of the in Vitro Inhibition of DNA Replication by Backbone Methylation
AUTHORS:
Henk M. Buck
KEYWORDS:
Phosphatemethylated DNA, Conformational Study, HIV-1, E. coli pab B Gene, in Vitro Inhibition of DNA Replication
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biophysical Chemistry,
Vol.6 No.1,
January
28,
2015
ABSTRACT: In this publication attention is given to a retracted article in Science at the end of 1990 concerning the HIV-1 inhibition by a modified backbone DNA as the phosphatemethylated DNA. A disproportion in the presented data resulted in a faulty generalization of the (bio)chemical characteristics of the phosphatemethylated DNA (18- and 20-nucleotides). In the confusion and the outside pressure a related study in Nucleic Acids Research on the in vitro dynamics of a regiospecific inhibition of DNA duplication with long (20- and 18-nucleotides) and short (8-nucleotides) phosphatemethylated DNA was completely ignored. A restoration will be given based on a comprehensive view demonstrating the unique molecular and conformational properties of phosphatemethylated DNA in their (bio)chemistry towards natural DNA and RNA (HIV-1 RNA loops).