NOVEL SOLID-PHASE SYNTHESIS SUPPORTS FOR THE PREPARATION OF OLIGONUCLEOTIDES CONTAINING S3'-ALKYL AMINES

?he synthesis and application of photolabile supports for solid phase oligonucleotide synthesis that release oligonucleotides containing 3'- alkyl amines is described. The alkyl amine functionality can be reveal ed without removing any other protecting groups throughout the biopoly mer. The solid phase synthesis supports do not contain a nucleoside, m aking it possible to use a single support for the synthesis of oligonu cleotides independent of their sequence. Individual solid phase synthe sis supports differ according to the length of the alkyl tether betwee n the 4,4'-dimethoxytrityl group which serves as the initiation site f or oligonucleotide synthesis and the latent alkyl amine. Eicosameric o ligonucleotides are obtained in yields ranging from 70-98% under photo lysis conditions that are known to produce less than 3% thymidine thym idine photodimers. Longer oligonucleotides (30 and 40 nucleotides in l ength) are cleaved from these solid phase synthesis supports in lower yields.