Lipophilic peptide nucleic acids containing a 1,3-diyne function: synthesis, characterization and production of derived polydiacetylene liposomes

Adenine-, cytosine- and thymine-containing peptide nucleic acid (PNA) monomers have been synthesized in which either diacetylenic or stearoyl moieties are attached to the N-or C-terminus; the diacetylenic group is embedded within a long hydrocarbon chain. A range of analogous lipophilic functionalized PNA oligomers have been prepared using either solid phase synthesis or a post-synthetic solution phase procedure following cleavage of the PNA oligomer from the solid support. Selected functionalized PNA monomers and oligomers have been incorporated into liposomal polydiacetylenes and characterized by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. Preliminary investigations show that blue PDA-liposomes containing thymine-based PNAs can be formed and that production of liposomes with other PNA systems are viable.