Effective syntheses of 2',4'-BNANC monomers bearing adenine, guanine, thymine, and 5-methylcytosine, and the properties of oligonucleotides fully modified with 2',4'-BNANC.

We efficiently synthesized 2'-O,4'-C-aminomethylene-bridged nucleic acid (2',4'-BNANC) monomers bearing the four nucleobases, guanine, adenine, thymine, and 5-methylcytosine and incorporated these monomers into oligonucleotides. Initially, we carried out the transglycosylation reaction on several 2'-O-substituted 5-methyluridines to evaluate the effects of 2'-substitutions on this reaction. Under the optimized conditions, purine nucleobases were successfully introduced, and 2',4'-BNANC monomers bearing adenine or guanine were obtained over several steps. In addition, the improved synthesis of the 2',4'-BNANC monomers bearing thymine or 5-methylcytosine was also achieved. The obtained 2',4'-BNANC monomers were subsequently incorporated into oligonucleotides and the duplex-forming abilities of the modified oligonucleotides were investigated. Duplexes containing 2',4'-BNANC monomers in both or either strands were found to possess excellent thermal stabilities.

Design, synthesis, and properties of 2',4'-BNA(NC): a bridged nucleic acid analogue.

The novel bridged nucleic-acid analogue 2',4'-BNA(NC) (2'-O,4'-C-aminomethylene bridged nucleic acid), containing a six-membered bridged structure with an N-O linkage, was designed and synthesized efficiently, demonstrating a one-pot intramolecular NC bond-forming key reaction to construct a perhydro-1,2-oxazine ring (11 and 12). Three monomers of 2',4'-BNA(NC) (2',4'-BNA(NC)[NH], [NMe], and [NBn]) were synthesized and incorporated into oligonucleotides, and their properties were investigated and compared with those of 2',4'-BNA (LNA)-modified oligonucleotides. Compared to 2',4'-BNA (LNA)-modified oligonucleotides, 2',4'-BNA(NC) congeners were found to possess: (i) equal or higher binding affinity against an RNA complement with excellent single-mismatch discriminating power, (ii) much better RNA selective binding, (iii) stronger and more sequence selective triplex-forming characters, and (iv) immensely higher nuclease resistance, even higher than the S(p)-phosphorthioate analogue. 2',4'-BNA(NC)-modified oligonucleotides with these excellent profiles show great promise for applications in antisense and antigene technologies.

Phosphinoselenothioic acids and their salts: synthesis, characterization, and reaction with electrophiles.

[reaction: see text] Phosphinoselenothioic acid ammonium salts were synthesized in good yields by reacting phosphinoselenothioic acid S-[2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl] esters with ammonium fluorides. Phosphinoselenothioic acid alkali metal salts were obtained as 18-crown-6 ether complexes with high efficiency by treating the esters with alkali metal fluorides and 18-crown-6 ether. The salts were stable under air and soluble in water. The structures of the phosphinoselenothioic acid tetramethylammonium salt and P-methylseleno-P-methylthiophosphonium triflate were determined by X-ray molecular structure analyses. These salts exhibited monomeric structures, and the central phosphorus atoms adopted tetrahedral structures. Alkylation of the ammonium salts selectively gave phosphinoselenothioic acid Se-alkyl esters, whereas acylation of the salts preferentially gave S-acyl products. Protonation of the salts selectively gave the phosphinoselenothioic S-acid. The S-acid generated in situ was reacted with alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and cyclohexene oxide to give the adducts. Molecular orbital calculations were carried out for the model compound H2P(Se)S- to elucidate the electronic structure.