RNA Abasic Sites: Preparation and Trans‐Lesion Synthesis by HIV‐1 Reverse Transcriptase

Abasic RNA and the “A-rule”. Abasic RNA was chemically synthesized by using a novel building block in which the anomeric center of the ribose unit was protected by the photocleavable R-1-(2-nitrophenyl)ethyl group. Upon reverse transcription of the abasic RNA template–DNA primer duplex, HIV-1 reverse transcriptase was found to preferentially incorporate a deoxyadenosine residue opposite the abasic site (see figure). This extends the A-rule to include abasic RNA.