Peptide nucleic acid monomers and oligomers

A compound consisting of a plurality of peptide nucleic acid oligomers linked by linking groups, wherein at least one of said peptide nucleic acid oligomers comprises a moiety having the formula:

• wherein:
• R8 is H, COCH3 or an amino protecting group;
• R9 is hydrogen or a side chain of a naturally occurring amino acid;
• R10 is O, NH, O-alkylene or a lysine residue;
• W is —(CH2)m— where m is from 0 to 6, or
• where
• b is an integer from 0 to 4;
• k is from 0 to 5;
• n is 0 or 1;
• L has the formula
• Q is CH or N;
• R17 is H or C1-C8 alkyl;
• each R11 and R12 is, independently, H, C1-C8 alkyl, or halogen;
• or R11 and R12 together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form a phenyl group;
• T has the formula:
• j and z are each, independently, from 0 to 5 with the sum of j and z being from 1 to 7;
• M is C(═O), S(O)2, phenyl or P(O)2;
• V is NH, S, or CH2;
• and
• a, h and g are each, independently, 0 or 1.

A compound for binding Watson-Crick base-pairs in a double helix wherein said compound has the formula:

• wherein:
• L has the formula:
• Q is CH or N;
• R17 is H or C1-C8 alkyl;
• each R11 and R12 is, independently, H, C1-C8 alkyl, or halogen;
• or R11 and R12 together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form a phenyl group;
• A is a single bond, a methylene group or a group of formula:
• where:
• X is O, S, Se, NR3, CH2 or C(CH3)2;
• Y is a single bond, O, S or NR4;
• each p, q, r and s is, independently, zero or an integer from 1 to 5;
• each R1 and R2 is, independently, hydrogen, (C1-C4)alkyl, hydroxy, alkoxy, alkylthio, amino or halogen, wherein said (C1-C4)alkyl is optionally substituted with hydroxy, alkoxy, or alkylthio;
• each R3 and R4 is, independently, selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C1-C4)alkyl, hydroxy- or alkoxy- or alkylthio-substituted (C1-C4)alkyl, hydroxy, alkoxy, alkylthio and amino;
• R15 is OH, a protected hydroxyl group, or a protecting group;
• and
• R16 is H or an amino protecting group.

An oligomeric compound for binding Watson-Crick base pairs in a double helix wherein said compound comprises at least one monomeric unit having the formula:

• wherein:
• R8 is H, COCH3 or an amino protecting group;
• R9 is hydrogen or a side chain of a naturally occurring amino acid;
• R10 is O, NH, O-alkylene or a lysine residue;
• W is —(CH2)m— where m is from 0 to 6, or
• where
• b is an integer from 0 to 4;
• k is from 0 to 5;
• n is 0 or 1;
• L has the formula:
• Q is CH or N;
• R17 is H or C1-C8 alkyl;
• each R11 and R12 is, independently, H, C1-C8 alkyl, or halogen;
• or R11 and R12 together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form a phenyl group;
• T has the formula:
• j and z are each, independently, from 0 to 5 with the sum of j and z being from 1 to 7;
• M is C(═O), S(O)2, phenyl or P(O)2;
• V is NH, S, or CH2;
• and
• a, h and g are each, independently, 0 or 1.