Intercalating Nucleic Acids with Insertion of 5‐[(Pyren‐1‐yl)methylidene]hydantoin‐Substituted Butane‐1,2‐diol

Isopropylidene‐protected (S)‐4‐O‐(methylsulfonyl)butane‐1,2,4‐triol was used for alkylation of 5‐[(pyren‐3‐yl)methylidene]hydantoin to give the N³‐monoalkylated product 4 in 29% yield together with a dialkylated product 5 in 12% yield. After deprotection, compound 4 was transformed into a dimethoxytrityl (DMT)‐protected phosphoramidite building block 9 for standard DNA synthesis. When inserted as a bulge in the triplex‐forming oligomer, compound 6 stabilizes a DNA triplex, whereas the corresponding DNA/DNA and DNA/RNA duplexes are slightly destabilized. For the triplex, fluorescence enhancement was observed at 500 nm.     

Efficient synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine containing DNA

5-Hydroxymethylcytosine ((5-HOMe)dC) was recently discovered as the sixth base in the mammalian genome. The development of a new phosphoramidite building block is reported, which allows efficient synthesis of (5-HOMe)dC containing DNA. Key steps of the synthesis are a palladium-catalyzed formylation and the simultaneous protection of a hydroxyl and amino group as a cyclic carbamate. DNA synthesis is possible under standard conditions, and deprotection can be carried out with dilute NaOH.     

Cyclic phosphate-linked oligosaccharides: synthesis and conformational behavior of novel cyclic oligosaccharide analogues

CyPLOS (cyclic phosphate-linked oligosaccharides), that is, novel cyclic oligosaccharide surrogates, consisting of two, three, and four phenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside units, 4,6-linked through stable phosphodiester bonds, were prepared by a straightforward and efficient solid-phase protocol. The assembly of the linear precursors was achieved by standard phosphoramidite chemistry on an automated DNA synthesizer, using a suitably protected 4-phosphoramidite derivative of D-glucose as the building block. For the crucial cyclization step a phosphotriester methodology was exploited, followed by a mild basic treatment releasing the desired cyclic molecules in solution in a highly pure form. The cyclic dimer and trimer were also independently prepared by classical solution synthesis, basically following the same approach. The solution structural preferences of the cyclic dimer and trimer, obtained by detailed NMR analysis, are also reported.     

Oligonucleotides containing 6-aza-2'-deoxyuridine: synthesis, nucleobase protection, pH-dependent duplex stability, and metal-DNA formation

Oligodeoxyribonucleotides containing the nucleoside 6-aza-2'-deoxyuridine z6Ud (1a) were prepared by using solid-phase synthesis. As the pKa value of this nucleoside is 6.8, unwanted side reactions are observed. Consequently, nitrogen-3 was protected (o-anisoyl protection). The phosphoramidite of 1a prepared on this route was as efficient as the building blocks of canonical nucleosides in allowing multiple incorporations into oligonucleotides. Oligonucleotide duplexes containing 1a show a pH dependence of the Tm value. This is caused by nucleobase deprotonation occurring on compound 1a already under neutral conditions. Metal (M)-DNA formation was studied in the presence of Zn+2 ions. It is demonstrated that 6-azauracil-modified duplexes form M-DNA already in neutral medium while alkaline conditions (above pH 8.5) are required for natural DNA. The conformational analysis of the sugar moiety of the nucleoside 1a and its anisoyl derivative 5a shows a preferred N-conformation in solution while an S-conformation for compound 1a was obtained in the solid state (single-crystal X-ray analysis).     

Synthesis of the TT pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproduct-thio analogue phosphoramidite building block

The phosphoramidite building block synthesis of the thio analogue at the 5,6-dihydropyrimidine C5 position of the thymidylyl(3'-5')thymidine (6-4) photoproduct 1 is presented. This compound was readily obtained from the appropriately protected dinucleotide P-methyl-5'-O-dimethoxytritylthymidilyl(3' --> 5')-4-thiothymidine 2 after irradiation at 366 nm, then S-sulfenylmethylation of the thiol function of the resulting (6-4) adduct, and phosphitylation of the 3'-hydroxyl group.     

Nucleotides. Part LXXI

A new labelling technique attaching fluorescein via a carbamoyl linker directly to the amino groups of the nucleobases was developed. The amino groups were first converted to the phenoxycarbonyl derivatives (→ 10, 15, 19, 58 ), which reacted under mild conditions with 5‐aminofluorescein to give the corresponding N‐[(fluorescein‐5‐ylamino)carbonyl] derivatives (→ 11 – 14, 16, 17, 20, 59, 60 ). The introduction of the 5‐aminofluorescein residue into properly protected adenylyl‐adenosine dimers (→ 39, 40 ) and trimer (→ 50 ) worked well, and final deprotection of these uniformly blocked precursors led on treatment with DBU (1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene), in one step to dimer 41 and trimer 51 . Synthesis of an appropriately protected monomeric phosphoramidite building block (→ 75 ) was more difficult, since introduction of the 2‐(4‐nitrophenyl)ethyl residue into the fluorescein moiety in 59 led mainly to trisubstitution to give 61 including the urea function. Formation of the adenylyl dimer 66 and trimer 67 proceeded in the usual manner by phosphoramidite chemistry; however, deprotection of 67 with DBU was incomplete since the O‐alkyl group at the urea moiety was found to be very stable. Finally, the appropriate phosphoramidite building block 75 could be synthesized by the sequence 59 → 72 → 73 → 74 → 75 . The phosphoramidite 75 was used for the synthesis of dimer 77 and trimer 79 by solution chemistry, as well as for that of various oligonucleotides by the machine‐aided approach on solid support carrying the fluorophore at different positions of the chain (→ 84 – 87 ). The attachment of the fluorescein fluorophor via a short carbamoyl linker onto the 6‐amino group of 2′‐deoxyadenosine enables such molecules to function very well in fluorescence‐polarization experiments.     

Stabilisation of nucleic acid secondary structures by oligonucleotides with an additional nucleobase; synthesis and incorporation of 2'-deoxy-2'-C-(2-(thymine-1-yl)ethyl)uridine

A nucleoside with two nucleobases is incorporated into oligonucleotides. The synthetic building block, 2'-deoxy-2'-C-(2-(thymine-1-yl)ethyl)uridine, 2, is prepared from uridine via 5',3'-TIPDS-protected 2'-deoxy-2'-C-allyluridine by an oxidative cleavage of the allyl group, a Mitsunobu reaction for the introduction of thymine and appropriate deprotection reactions. This compound is converted into a DMT-protected phosphoramidite and incorporated once into a 13-mer oligodeoxynucleotide sequence, once in an isosequential LNA-modified oligodeoxynucleotide and four times in the middle of a 12-mer oligodeoxynucleotide. These sequences are mixed with different complementary DNA and RNA sequences in order to study the effect of the additional nucleobase in duplexes, in bulged duplexes and in three-way junctions. The first additional thymine is found to be well-accommodated in a DNA-RNA duplex, whereas a DNA-DNA duplex was slightly destabilised. A three-way junction with the additional thymine in the branching point is found to be stabilised in both a DNA-DNA and a DNA-RNA context but destabilised where the modified LNA-sequence is used. In a Mg2+-containing buffer, however, the relative stability of the three-way junctions is found to be opposite with especially the LNA-modified DNA-DNA complex being significantly stabilised by the additional nucleobase.     

Electron injection into DNA: synthesis and spectroscopic properties of pyrenyl-modified oligonucleotides

The nucleoside 5-(1-pyrenyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (1) was prepared by a Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction and subsequently used as a DNA building block in order to prepare a range of modified oligonucleotides using phosphoramidite chemistry. The DNA duplexes contain a pyrenyl group covalently attached to the nucleobase uracil. Upon excitation at 340 nm an intramolecular electron transfer from the pyrenyl group to the uracil moiety takes place which represents an injection of an excess electron into the DNA base stack. Based on the results obtained by steady-state fluorescence and time-resolved pump-probe laser spectroscopy it was possible to show that base-to-base electron transfer can occur from the Py-dU group only to adjacent thymines.     

Synthesis of proteophosphoglycans of Leishmania major and Leishmania mexicana

A novel approach for the synthesis of various fragments of proteophosphoglycans from Leishmania major and Leishmania mexicana proteophosphoglycans has been developed. These compounds have been obtained by coupling alpha-mannosyl and alpha-N-acetyl-glucosamine phosphoramidite derivatives with the serine hydroxyl of various amino acids and peptides to give, after oxidation with tert-BuOOH, phosphotriesters exclusively as alpha-anomers in good yield. The resulting compounds could be deblocked using conventional methods. Glycophosphorylation of preassembled and properly protected peptides was found to be more efficient for the preparation of proteophosphoglycan fragments than a building block approach strategy using a phosphoglycosylserine derivative.     

Perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracarboxylic acid bisimide dye as an artificial DNA base surrogate

A phosphoramidite of the perylene bisimide dye was synthesized as a DNA building block that allows incorporation of this chromophore as an artificial nucleoside surrogate either at the 5'-terminus or at internal positions of duplex DNA. The internally incorporated perylene bisimide chromophore shows strong interactions with the DNA base stack; the 5'-terminally attached perylene bisimide is able to induce dimerization of two whole DNA duplexes.     

A concise strategy for polymer‐supported regio‐oriented introduction of various building blocks onto glucopyranoside scaffold

A new strategy was devised to stereo‐specifically introduce various building blocks, mainly heterocycles such as pyrimidines and triazines onto a multi‐hydroxy molecule. A glucopyranoside was chosen as a target scaffold. Two polymer‐based protective reagents were jointly integrated in the implementation of the strategy. It was found that in the α‐D‐glucopyranoside, which has four free hydroxyl groups within the same molecule, its 4, 6‐di‐OH could be simultaneously protected by polystyryl boronic acid, which left the 2, 3‐di‐OH free for substitution. Due to the steric effects within the molecule, the 2‐OH is much more liabile to electrophilic substitution. Thus the first and the second building blocks could be introduced regioselectively onto the 2‐OH and the 3‐OH positions. After a facile deprotection, the 4, 6‐di‐OH were left free and by application of a second protecting reagent–‐polystyryltritylchloride onto 6‐OH, a third building block was introduced onto the 4‐OH position. After further deprotection, the fourth building block was later introduced onto the 6‐OH position. The new strategy was successfully applied in the combinatorial synthesis by application of the split‐mix technique. The respective eleven small libraries were obtained and confirmed by HPLC‐MS and NMR. Some preliminary results on chemical structure/herbicidal activity relationship were discussed.     

Dinucleotides containing two allyl groups by combinations of allyl phosphotriesters, 5-allyl-, 2′-O-allyl- and 2′-arabino-O-allyl uridine derivatives as substrates for ring-closing metathesis

Five different dinucleotides, each containing two allyl groups in various positions, were prepared and studied as substrates for ring-closing metathesis reactions. These dinucleotides were designed from appropriate nucleoside building blocks combining four different positions for the allyl group; the allyl phosphotriester linkage, 5-allyl-2′-deoxyuridine, and ribo- as well as arabino-configured 2′-O-allyluridine. Thus, convenient procedures for these building blocks were developed. From the dinucleotides, two new cyclic nucleotide structures were obtained; one connecting two adjacent nucleobase moieties and the other forming an unsaturated four-carbon linkage between the phosphate moiety and the adjacent pyrimidine nucleobase. The latter cyclic dinucleotide was also prepared with a saturated four-carbon linkage using a tandem ring-closing metathesis-hydrogenation procedure. This compound was found to be significantly more stable towards a nucleophilic ring-opening than its unsaturated counterpart.     

2-aza-2'-deoxyadenosine: synthesis, base-pairing selectivity, and stacking properties of oligonucleotides

2-Aza-2'-deoxyadenosine (2, z2Ad) is synthesized via its 1,N6-etheno derivative 7 and enzymatically deaminated to 2-aza-2'-deoxyinosine (3). Compound 2 is converted into the phosphoramidite building block 10b. This is employed in solid-phase oligonucleotide synthesis. The 2-azapurine base forms a strong base pair with guanine, but a much weaker one with adenine, thymine, and cytosine. Oligonucleotide duplexes with dangling nucleotide residues, such as 2-aza-2'-deoxyadenosine and 7-deaza-2'-deoxyadenosine (4, c7Ad), either on one or both termini, are synthesized, and the thermal stability of the duplexes is correlated with the hydrophobic properties of the dangling nucleotide residues.     

Studies on the chemical synthesis of oligodeoxynucleotides containing the s5T(6-4)T photoproduct: side reactions derived from the methylsulfenyl thiol protection elucidated by MALDI mass spectrometry

Attempts to incorporate the phosphoramidite of the thymine-thymine (6-4) photoproduct C5 thiol analogue (s(5)T(6-4)T PP), whose sulfur atom was protected with the methylsulfenyl group, into oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs), are reported. Using matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionisation mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) coupled to enzymatic digestion, accurate mass measurements and tandem mass spectrometry experiments, we demonstrated that ODNs containing the (2-cyanoethylthio)(5)T(6-4)T PP were obtained. Supported by model reactions, these results were explained 1) by the incorporation, during oligonucleotide synthesis, of the sulfur deprotected phosphoramidite that arose from a Michaelis-Arbusov-type rearrangement, and 2) the Michael addition to the thiol of acrylonitrile released upon the cyanoethyl phosphotriester deprotection. To avoid the formation of the cyanoethyl adduct, the phosphotriester deprotection was carried out in the presence of a thiol in excess. This afforded the ODN containing the h(5)T(6-4)T PP.     

Synthesis of DNA with phenanthridinium as an artificial DNA base

A phenanthridinium-containing DNA building block was synthesized as an ethidium nucleoside analogue starting from 3,8-diamino-6-phenyl-phenanthridine. Using this building block, oligonucleotides bearing the phenanthridinium moiety as an artificial DNA base were prepared via automated solid-phase phosphoramidite chemistry. The modified phenanthridinium-containing DNA duplexes were characterized by UV/vis absorption spectroscopy (including the melting behavior), CD spectroscopy, and steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. These experiments reveal the expected similarity of the synthetic phenanthridinium moiety with noncovalently bound ethidium. More importantly, the results show clearly that the artificial phenanthridinium base is intercalated within the DNA base stack. The counterbase as part of the complementary strand seems to have only a minor influence on the intercalation properties of the phenanthridinium moiety.     

Short communication the preparation of stable protected 3-ethynylpyrrole suitable for electrochemical polymerization

Stable protected 3-triisopropylsilylethynylpyrrole, 4b , was prepared in the yield 73% by first observed selective deprotection of double protected 1-triisopropylsilyl-3-triisopropylsilylethynylpyrrole, 3b , which was obtained in the yield 44%. This deprotection in preference proceeds at the pyrrole nitrogen leaving the 3-triisopropylsilylethynyl group intact. Due to its stability, ethynylpyrrole derivative 4b protected was like the first alkynyl pyrrole derivative electrochemically polymerized giving a black polypyrrole layer deposited on the platinum anode. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nucleic acid secondary structures containing the double-headed nucleoside 5'(S)-C-(2-(thymin-1-yl)ethyl)thymidine

Oligodeoxynucleotides containing the double-headed nucleoside 5'(S)-C-(2-(thymin-1-yl)ethyl)thymidine were prepared by standard solid phase synthesis. The synthetic building block for incorporating the double-headed moiety was prepared from thymidine, which was stereoselectively converted to a protected 5'(S)-C-hydroxyethyl derivative and used to alkylate the additional thymine by a Mitsunobu reaction. The oligodeoxynucleotides were studied in different nucleic acid secondary structures: duplexes, bulged duplexes, three-way junctions and artificial DNA zipper motifs. The thermal stability of these complexes was studied, demonstrating an almost uniform thermal penalty of incorporating one double-headed nucleoside moiety into a duplex or a bulged duplex, comparable to the effects of the previously reported double-headed nucleoside 5'(S)-C-(thymin-1-yl)methylthymidine. The additional base showed only very small effects when incorporated into DNA or RNA three-way junctions. The various DNA zipper arrangements indicated that extending the linker from methylene to ethylene almost completely removed the selective minor groove base-base stacking interactions observed for the methylene linker in a (-3)-zipper, whereas interactions, although somewhat smaller, were observed for the ethylene linker in a (-4)-zipper motif.     

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of (2-Hydroxyethyl) 2-Deoxy-α-D-Threo-Pyranoside 3,4,2′-Trisphosphate,A Mimic of the Second Messenger Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate

ABSTRACT

(2-Hydroxyethyl) 2-deoxy-α-D-threo-pentopyranoside 3,4,2′-trisphosphate (3) has been prepared starting from allyl-α-D-xylopyranoside. The suitably protected 2-deoxy intermediate obtained by judicious selective protection and deprotection has been phosphorylated using the phosphoramidite methodology. Final deprotection gave the expected analogue of myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate.     

A New and Efficient Method for Synthesis of 5′‐Conjugates of Oligonucleotides through Amide‐Bond Formation on Solid Phase

An efficient method for synthesis of oligonucleotide 5′‐conjugates through amide‐bond formation on solid phase is described. Protected oligonucleotides containing a 5′‐carboxylic acid function were obtained by use of a novel non‐nucleosidic phosphoramidite building block, where the carboxylic acid moiety was protected by a 2‐chlorotrityl group. The protecting group is stable to the phosphoramidite coupling conditions used in solid‐phase oligonucleotide assembly, but is easily deprotected by mild acidic treatment. The protecting group may be removed also by ammonolysis. 5′‐Carboxylate‐modified oligonucleotides were efficiently conjugated on solid support under normal peptide‐coupling conditions to various amines or to the N‐termini of small peptides to yield products of high purity. The method is well‐suited in principle for the synthesis of peptide‐oligonucleotide conjugates containing an amide linkage between the 5′‐end of an oligonucleotide and the N‐terminus of a peptide.     

Synthesis and Properties of Oligothymidylates Incorporating an Artificial Bend Motif

The uridylyl‐(3′→5′)‐thymidine dinucleotide block 14 (cUpdU), having a cyclic structure between the 2′‐hydroxy of the upstream uridine and the 5‐substituent of the downstream thymidine, was synthesized (Schemes 1 and 2). This cyclic structure is a stable mimic of the intraresidual H‐bonding found in the anticodon loop of an E. coli minor tRNA^Arg. The spectroscopic and molecular‐mechanics analyses of the cyclized dinucleotides predicted two major conformers, i.e., the turn and bent forms. The latter was expected to bend DNA oligomers when incorporated into them. This expectation was ascertained by incorporating the bent dimer motif into tetra‐, deca‐, or hexadecathymidylates by the conventional phosphoramidite method (see 18 – 20 in Scheme 4). The bending of oligonucleotides 18 – 20 was demonstrated by ³¹P‐NMR and CD spectra and gel‐electrophoretic studies. The duplex formation of these modified oligonucleotides with oligodeoxyadenylates was also studied. The decreased thermal stability of the duplexes when compared with unmodified ones indicates distorted structures of the modified duplexes. The 3D computer model of the duplexes showed a bend of ca. 30° with a `bulge‐out' at the position of an adenosine residue facing the cyclized dimer. The artificially bent DNAs might become a new tool for the study of the effect of DNA bending induced in DNA/DNA‐binding protein interactions.