Dim and Dmoc Protecting Groups for Oligodeoxynucleotide Synthesis

This protocol provides details for the preparation of nucleoside phosphoramidites with 1,3-dithian-2-yl-methyl (Dim) and 1,3-dithian-2-yl-methoxycarbonyl (Dmoc) as protecting groups, and a linker with Dmoc as the cleavable function, then using them for solid phase synthesis of sensitive oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs). Using these Dim-Dmoc phosphoramidites and Dmoc linker, ODN synthesis can be achieved under typical conditions using phosphoramidite chemistry with slight modifications, and ODN deprotection and cleavage can be achieved under mild conditions involving oxidation with sodium periodate at pH 4 followed by aniline at pH 8. Under the mild deprotection and cleavage conditions, many sensitive functional groups including but not limited to esters, thioesters, alkyl halides, N-aryl amides, and α-chloroamides—which cannot survive the basic and nucleophilic deprotection and cleavage conditions such as concentrated ammonium hydroxide and dilute potassium methoxide used in typical ODN synthesis technologies—can survive. Thus, it is expected that the Dim-Dmoc ODN synthesis technology will find applications in the synthesis of ODNs that contain a wide range of sensitive functional groups. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol: Synthesis, deprotection, cleavage, and purification of sensitive oligodeoxynucleotides

Support Protocol 1: Synthesis of Dim-Dmoc nucleoside phosphoramidites

Support Protocol 2: Preparation of CPG with a Dmoc linker

Support Protocol 3: Synthesis of a phosphoramidite containing a sensitive alkyl ester group