aa	amino acid
AcP2−	acetyl phosphate (Figure 20)
AIDS	acquired immune deficiency syndrome
AMP·NO2−	adenosine 5′-monophosphate N(1)-oxide (Figure 12)
AMP2−	adenosine 5′-monophosphate (Figure 3)
ε-AMP2−	1,N6-ethenoadenosine 5′-monophosphate (Figure 12)
AnP2−	acetonylphosphonate (Figure 20)
arm	heteroaromatic nitrogen base, e.g., bpy or phen
ATP4−	adenosine 5′-triphosphate
bpy	2,2-bipyridine
DHAP2−	dihydroxyacetone phosphate (Figure 20)
dien	diethylenetriamine = 1,4,7-triazaheptane
DNA	deoxyribonucleic acid
dPMEA2−	dianion of 9-(4-phosphonobutyl)adenine = 3′-deoxa-PMEA2−
G1P2−	glycerol 1-phosphate (= α-glycerophosphate; in many biochemistry texts also designated as glycerol 3-phosphate) (Figure 20)
HIV	human immunodeficiency virus
L2−	any phosph(on)ate ligand (R-${\mathrm{PO}}_3^{2–}$)
M2+	any divalent metal ion (in a few instances also Cu(bpy)2+ and Cu(phen)2+ are represented by this abbreviation)
N	nucleophile
NDP3−	nucleoside 5′-diphosphate
NMP2−	nucleoside 5′-monophosphate
NTP4−	nucleoside 5′-triphosphate
PEEA2−	dianion of 9-[2-(2-phosphonoethoxy)ethyl]adenine
phen	1,10-phenanthroline
PME2−	dianion of (phosphonomethoxy)ethane (=ethoxymethanephosphonate) [Equation (5)]
PMEA2−	dianion of 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]adenine (Figure 3)
RNA	ribonucleic acid
TuMP2−	tubercidin 5′-monophosphate = 7-deaza-AMP2− (Figure 12)