Glyco‐DNA: Enzymatic Synthesis of Base‐Modified and Hypermodified DNA Displaying up to Four Different Monosaccharide Units in the Major Groove

Abstract

A portfolio of six modified 2'‐deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) derivatives derived from 5‐substituted pyrimidine or 7‐substituted 7‐deazapurine bearing different carbohydrate units (d‐glucose, d‐galactose, d‐mannose, l‐fucose, sialic acid and N‐Ac‐d‐galactosamine) tethered through propargyl‐glycoside linker was designed and synthesized via the Sonogashira reactions of halogenated dNTPs with the corresponding propargyl‐glycosides. The nucleotides were found to be good substrates for DNA polymerases in enzymatic primer extension and PCR synthesis of modified and hypermodified DNA displaying up to four different sugars. Proof of concept binding study of sugar‐modified oligonucleotides with concanavalin A showed positive effect of avidity and sugar units count.