Linkers for oligonucleotide microarray synthesis

A number of linkers for microchip-based (microarray) synthesis of oligonucleotides were synthesized here using photolabile intermediates. The resulting linkers are designed for covalent immobilization on slides containing both hydroxyl and amino groups.The first series of linkers was intended for the synthesis of oligonucleotide arrays for hybridization analysis. These linkers provide a strong covalent bond with the slide surface when amino groups in oligonucleotide heterocyclic bases are deprotected.The second series of linkers allows to cleave the synthesized oligonucleotides from the support on which they were synthesized. Furthermore, the use of such linkers yields oligonucleotides devoid of the phosphate group at their 3′ end.The obtained linkers were successfully tested in the synthesis of oligonucleotides on a microchip for subsequent hybridization analysis and assembly of a DNA fragment.