Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

2-O-[2-(Methylthio)ethyl]-Modified Oligonucleotide: An Analog of 2-O-[2-(Methoxy)ethyl]-Modified Oligonucleotide with Improved Protein Binding Properties and High Binding Affinity to Target RNA

Journal Article · · Biochemistry-US
OSTI ID:1008798

A novel 2'-modification, 2'-O-[2-(methylthio)ethyl] or 2'-O-MTE, has been incorporated into oligonucleotides and evaluated for properties relevant to antisense activity. The results were compared with the previously characterized 2'-O-[2-(methoxy)ethyl] 2'-O-MOE modification. As expected, the 2'-O-MTE modified oligonucleotides exhibited improved binding to human serum albumin compared to the 2'-O-MOE modified oligonucleotides. The 2'-O-MTE oligonucleotides maintained high binding affinity to target RNA. Nuclease digestion of 2'-O-MTE oligonucleotides showed that they have limited resistance to exonuclease degradation. We analyzed the crystal structure of a decamer DNA duplex containing the 2'-O-MTE modifcation. Analysis of the crystal structure provides insight into the improved RNA binding affinity, protein binding affinity and limited resistance of 2'-O-MTE modified oligonucleotides to exonuclease degradation.

Research Organization:
Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
1008798
Journal Information:
Biochemistry-US, Journal Name: Biochemistry-US Journal Issue: (39) ; 2002 Vol. 41; ISSN 0006-2960; ISSN BICHAW
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH