Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41505089›Full record

ArticleNucleic acids research2026

Recognition of unnatural base pairs by a eukaryotic DNA polymerase enables universal sequencing of an expanded genetic alphabet.

Hantao Luo, Yuhui Du, Leping Sun, Fangkai Ye, Jiezhao Ma, Xueting Wang, Yaxin Wang, Tingjian Chen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nucleic acids research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Hantao LuoMOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology 510006, Guangzhou, China.ORCID 0009-0002-0658-8661
Yuhui DuMOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology 510006, Guangzhou, China.ORCID 0000-0002-2036-5408
Leping SunMOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology 510006, Guangzhou, China.ORCID 0000-0001-9095-1878
Fangkai YeMOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology 510006, Guangzhou, China.
Jiezhao MaMOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology 510006, Guangzhou, China.
Xueting WangMOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology 510006, Guangzhou, China.
Yaxin WangMOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology 510006, Guangzhou, China.
Tingjian ChenMOE International Joint Research Laboratory on Synthetic Biology and Medicines, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology 510006, Guangzhou, China.ORCID 0000-0002-4458-4269

Funding

Guangdong Provincial Pearl River Talents Program 2019QN01Y228National Key R&D Program of ChinaNational Natural Science Foundation of China 21978100National Natural Science Foundation of China 22578143
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The expansion of the genetic alphabet through the development of unnatural base pairs (UBPs) has the potential to revolutionize synthetic biology and biotechnology. However, the replication of the UBPs by eukaryotic DNA polymerases is largely unexplored and the sequencing of the UBPs remains challenging. Herein, we explored and demonstrated the activity of human DNA polymerase β (Pol β) for the efficient and specific synthesis and extension of a panel of representative UBPs, including dNaM-dTPT3, dCNMO-dTPT3, and their functionalized derivatives. Based on this, we established a method for the sequencing of DNAs containing different unnatural bases, involving stalled primer extension mediated by Pol β, selective conversion of an unnatural nucleotide into two different natural ones in parallel and further primer extension mediated by Taq DNA polymerase, and Sanger or deep sequencing of the produced natural DNAs to locate the unnatural bases. The precision, universality, and potential for high-throughput applications of this method were demonstrated by the successful sequencing of various DNAs containing one or multiple of different unnatural bases. This work suggests the possibility of integrating the UBPs into the eukaryotic DNA replication systems and provides a technical foundation for the robust sequencing of DNAs with an expanded genetic alphabet.

Indexed as

DNADNA Polymerase betaSequence Analysis, DNABase PairingDNA ReplicationHumansDNADNA Polymerase beta

Identifiers

PMID41505089
PMCPMC12781883

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.