MOLECULAR DESIGN FOR A PINPOINT RNA SCISSION - INTERPOSITION OF OLIGOAMINES BETWEEN 2 DNA OLIGOMERS

Phosphoramidite monomers having a benzyl or ethyl ester in the side ch ain have been synthesized for the facile and selective functionalizati on of oligonucleotides. Various amino compounds were incorporated into the desired sites in oligonucleotides by aminolysis of the esters. Th e conjugates, in which oligoamines (catalysts for RNA hydrolysis) were interposed between two oligonucleotides, hydrolyzed RNA substrates at exactly the target sites, which was consistent with the results of a computer-modeling study.