10.1016/S0960-894X(01)00110-X
The research focuses on the synthesis and hybridization properties of a 9-mer adenine derivative of α-L-LNA (α-L-ribo configured locked nucleic acid), which is a type of nucleic acid mimic designed to have superior properties such as increased stability towards nucleolytic degradation and enhanced binding affinity and specificity towards complementary nucleic acid targets. The study successfully developed a synthetic route for the first α-L-LNA purine monomer, involving the synthesis of a bicyclic adenine nucleoside through a condensation reaction between l-threo-pentofuranose derivative and 6-N-benzoyladenine, followed by C20-epimerization and cyclization. The synthesized α-L-LNA monomers were then incorporated into a 9-mer oligonucleotide, which demonstrated high-affinity hybridization with complementary DNA, RNA, LNA, and α-L-LNA target sequences. The chemicals used in the process included 6-N-benzoyladenine, SnCl4, TMS-triflate, N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide, mesyl chloride, sodium hydride, and various other reagents for protection, deprotection, and purification steps. The conclusions of the research were that the α-L-LNA monomers, particularly the adenine derivatives, significantly enhance the affinity of the resulting oligonucleotides for their complementary sequences, and that α-L-LNA:α-L-LNA and α-L-LNA:LNA duplexes form exceptionally stable structures, comparable to LNA:LNA duplexes.