INCORPORATION OF NONBASE RESIDUES INTO SYNTHETIC OLIGONUCLEOTIDES ANDTHEIR USE IN THE PCR

Oligonucleotides containing the nonbase residues 1,3-propanediol or 1, 4-anhydro-2-deoxy-D-ribitol were synthesized and used as primers for t he polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Since these residues cannot be rep licated by a DNA polymerase, the resulting PCR products have protrudin g 5' ends. Printers were designed with three regions, a 3' region comp lementary to the desired template, a 5' region complementary to a pres elected nucleotide sequence, and a nonreplicable element interposed be tween these two containing 1-3 of the nonbase residues. The printers w ere used in a PCR and the products hybridized without denaturation to a solid support containing an immobilized preselected nucleotide seque nce. Studies are reported showing the effects of the nonreplicable ele ments in primer extension reactions and the application to the capture of PCR products.