SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES OF HYALURONIC-ACID CONJUGATED NUCLEIC-ACID ANALOGS .1. SYNTHESIS OF DEACETYLHYALURONAN AND INTRODUCTION OF NUCLEIC-ACID BASES

The conjugation of nucleic acid base with hyaluronan was achieved by u sing the activated ester of pentachlorophenyl trichloroacetate. The co nditions of de-N-acetylation of sodium hyaluronic acid were studied. I n low concentrations of NaOH, the degree of deacetylation was 26%, whi le in 7.4N NaOH, the degree of deacetylation was 76% and the viscosity was 1.12 dL/g. Thymine and 5-fluorouracil bases were quantitatively c onjugated to deacetylhyaluronan in 65% and 51%, respectively. The inte raction of thymine hyaluronan conjugate with the complementary base of polyadenylate showed a small hypochromicity.