In an attempt to improve physico-chemical and biological properties of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), particularly water solubility and cellular uptake, the synthesis of chimeric oligomers consisted of PNA and phosphono-PNA analogues (pPNAs) bearing the four natural nucleobases has been accomplished. To produce these chimeras, pPNA monomers of two types containing N-(2-hydroxyethyl)phosphonoglycine, or N-(2-aminoethyl)phosphonoglycine backbone, were used in conjunction with PNA monomers representing derivatives of N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine, or N-(2-hydroxyethyl)glycine. The oligomers obtained were composed of either PNA and pPNA stretches or alternating PNA and pPNA monomers. The examination of hybridization properties of PNA-pPNA chimeras to DNA and RNA complementary strands in comparison with pure PNAs, and pPNAs as well as DNA-pPNA hybrids and DNA fragments confirmed that these chimeras form stable complexes with complementary DNA and RNA fragments. They were found to be resistant to degradation by nucleases. All these properties together with good solubility in water make PNA-pPNA hybrids promising for further evaluation as potential therapeutic agents.
A set of new sulfurizing agents representing disulfides of arylsulfonic acids has been developed for the automated synthesis of phosphorothioate oligonucleotide analogues via the phosphoramidite method. These reagents, such as bis(benzenesulfonyl)disulfide, bis(p-toluenesulfonyl)disulfide, bis(p-methoxybenzensulfonyl)disulfide, and bis (p-chlorobenzenesulfonyl) disulfide, are easily prepared crystalline solid compounds. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to handle, and efficiently convert internucleotide cyanoethyl phosphite to the phosphorothioate triester within 1-2 min. The efficiency of phosphorothioate oligonucleotide synthesis with the use of these reagents is comparable to that of phosphodiester oligonucleotides.
Dipentafluorophenyl carbonate has been successfully used as condensing agent for the internucleotide bond formation in the synthesis of oligonucleotides via H-phosphonate approach. The mechanism of a nucleotide component activation with this reagent has been investigated with the help of 31P NMR spectroscopy. It was shown that preactivation of deoxynucleoside H-phosphonate with dipentafluorophenyl carbonate has no influence on the efficiency of the synthesis. This reagent is highly reactive, nonhygroscopic and stable on storage at room temperature. The effectiveness of dipentafluorophenyl carbonate in the oligonucleotide chemistry has been demonstrated in the solid-phase synthesis of 10-50-mers on 0.2, 1 and 10 mumol scales. The use of this reagent for the derivatisation of polymer supports as well as for the synthesis of oligonucleotide conjugates with polyethylene glycol and a lipid is described.
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