Conformationally controlled high-affinity targeting of RNA or DNA by novel 2′-amino-DNA/LNA mixmers and pyrenyl-functionalized 2′-amino-DNA

9-Mer DNA sequences containing 2'-N-methyl-2'-N-(pyren-1-ylmethyl)-2'-amino-DNA monomers display significantly increased affinity towards DNA complements whereas the corresponding 2'-amino-DNA monomer has a detrimental effect on duplex stability. These effects are efficiently reversed by incorporation of four LNA nucleotides inducing a B-DNA to A-DNA conformational change.