Tetramer-Block-Synthesis Method as an Efficient Synthetic Procedure of Functional DNA Oligomers (Octamers)

Abstract

An octanucleotide of any sequence can be synthesized from two kinds of tetranucleotides. This paper reports the rapid and convenient method to prepare octanucleotides from two types of tetramers, X- and Y-types, which are designed to be _DMTr, N₁*pN₂*pN₃*pN₄*p_0- and _HON₁*PN₂*PN₃*PN₄*_bz, respectively, where DMTr, bz, and the symbol * represent the protectors of functional groups. The yields of the octamers prepared with very simple procedures in a small scale (sub-μp mole) were sufficient for DNA-sequencing and the octamers were proved to have enough activities as primers. The activities were directly examined by using them as primers for enzymatic DNA syntheses and analysing the products by gel electrophoreses. The method reported in this paper presents not solely easy accessability to varieties of oligonucleotides without expensive apparatuses but also general principles to prepare oligomers economically. Tetramers are suggested to be the fittest building blocks for high-rate production of varieties of DNAs.