Methods for synthesis of oligonucleotides

Abstract

Improved methods for synthesis of oligonucleotides and other phosphorus-linked oligomers are disclosed. The methods include the use of aromatic solvents, alkyl aromatic solvents, halogenated aromatic solvents, halogenated alkyl aromatic solvents, or aromatic ether solvents to achieve deprotection of protected hydroxyl groups.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for the preparation of a phosphorus-linked oligomer comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a solid support;    (b) attaching a 5′-O-protected nucleoside to the solid support;    (c) deprotecting the 5′-hydroxyl of the nucleoside with a deprotecting reagent comprising a protic acid in a solvent to deprotect the 5′-hydroxyl of the nucleoside, the solvent being an aromatic solvent, an alkyl aromatic solvent, a halogenated aromatic solvent, a halogenated alkyl aromatic solvent, or an aromatic ether solvent;    (d) reacting the deprotected 5′-hydroxyl with an 5′-protected activated phosphorus compound to produce a covalent linkage therebetween;    (e) oxidizing or sulfurizing the covalent linkage to form a phosphodiester, phosphorothioate, phosphorodithioate or H-phosphonate linkage;    (f) repeating steps c through e at least once for subsequent couplings of additional activated phosphorus compounds, to produce the completed phosphorus-linked oligomer; and    (g) cleaving the oligomer from the solid support.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of capping remaining reactive sites with a solution containing a capping reagent.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the oxidation or sulfurization step is performed after each iteration of steps (c) and (d).  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the oxidation or sulfurization step is performed after the final iteration of steps (c) and (d).  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the solvent in step (c) is an aromatic solvent, an alkyl aromatic solvent, or an aromatic ether.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the solvent in step (c) is benzene, toluene, benzonitrile, o-, m- or p-xylene, mesitylene, or diphenyl ether.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the solvent in step (c) is benzene, toluene or o-, m- or p-xylene.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the solvent in step (c) is toluene.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the solvent in step (c) is a halogenated aromatic solvent or a halogenated alkyl aromatic solvent.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the solvent in step (c) is chlorobenzene or benzotirfluoride.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the activated phosphorus compound is an activated mononucleotide, an activated dinucleotide, or an activated polynucleotide.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the activated phosphorus compound is a 5′-protected nucloside phosphoramidite or a 5′-protected activated H-phosphonate nucleoside.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the protetcing group of the 5′-O-protected nucleoside and the 5′-protected activated phosphite compound is independently trityl, monomethoxy trityl, dimethoxytrityl, trimethoxytrityl, 2-chlorotrityl, DATE, TBTr, 9-phenylxanthine-9-yl (Pixyl) or 9-(p-methoxyphenyl)xanthine-9-yl (MOX).  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the protetcing group of the 5′-O-protected nucleoside and the 5′-protected activated phosphite compound is independently trityl, monomethoxy trityl, dimethoxy trityl, 9-phenylxanthine-9-yl (Pixyl) or 9-(p-methoxyphenyl)xanthine-9-yl.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the protetcing group of the 5′-O-protected nucleoside and the 5′-protected activated phosphite compound is dimethoxytrityl.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the phosphorus-linked oligomer is a phosphodiester, phosphorothioate phosphorodithioate, or H-phosphonate oligonucleotide.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the protic acid is formic acid, acetic acid, chloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, trifluoroacetic acid, benzenesulfonic acid, toluenesulfonic acid, or phenylphosphoric acid.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the solvent in step (c) further comprises an additive.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the additive to the solvent in step (c) is an alcohol.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the alcohol additive to the solvent in step (c) is from 0% to about 30% methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, t-butyl alcohol, t-amyl alcohol, benzyl lcohol, or 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol, or a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         21 . A method for the preparation of a phosphorus-linked oligomer comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing a solid support;    b) attaching a 5′-O-protected nucleoside to the solid support;    c) contacting the protected 5′-hydroxyl of the nucleoside with a deprotecting reagent comprising a protic acid in a solvent to deprotect the 5′-hydroxyl of the nucleoside, the solvent being an aromatic solvent, an alkyl aromatic solvent, a halogenated aromatic solvent, a halogenated alkyl aromatic solvent, or an aromatic ether solvent;    d) reacting the deprotected 5′-hydroxyl with a 5′-protected activated phosphite compound to produce a phosphite linkage;    e) oxidizing or sulfurizing the phosphite linkage to form a phosphodiester, phosphorothioate, or phosphorodithioate linkage;    f) repeating steps c through e at least once for subsequent couplings of additional activated phosphite compounds, to produce the completed phosphorus-linked oligomer; and    g) cleaving the oligomer from the solid support.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising the step of capping remaining reactive sites with a solution containing a capping reagent.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the solvent in step (c) is an aromatic-solvent, an alkyl aromatic solvent, or an aromatic ether.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the solvent in step (c) is benzene, toluene, benzonitrile, o-, m- or p-xylene, mesitylene, or diphenyl ether.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the solvent in step (c) is benzene, toluene or o-, m- or p-xylene.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the solvent in step (c) is toluene.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the solvent in step (c) is a halogenated aromatic solvent or a halogenated alkyl aromatic solvent.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the solvent in step (c) is chlorobenzene or benzotirfluoride.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the activated phosphite compound is a mononucleotide phosphoramidite, a dinucleotide phosphoramidite, or a polynucleotide phosphoramidite.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the protetcing group of the 5′-O-protected nucleoside and the 5′-protected activated phosphite compound is independently trityl, monomethoxy trityl, dimethoxytrityl, trimethoxytrityl, 2-chlorotrityl, DATE, TBTr, 9-phenylxanthine-9-yl (Pixyl) or 9-(p-methoxyphenyl)xanthine-9-yl (MOX).  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the protetcing group of the 5′-O-protected nucleoside and the 5′-protected activated phosphite compound is independently trityl, monomethoxy trityl, dimethoxy trityl, 9-phenylxanthine-9-yl (Pixyl) or 9-(p-methoxyphenyl)xanthine-9-yl.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the protetcing group of the 5′-O-protected nucleoside and the 5′-protected activated phosphite compound is dimethoxytrityl.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the phosphorus-linked oligomer is a phosphodiester, phosphorothioate or a phosphorodithioate oligonucleotide.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the protic acid is formic acid, acetic acid, chloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, trifluoroacetic acid, benzenesulfonic acid, toluenesulfonic acid, or phenylphosphoric acid.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the solvent in step (c) further comprises an additive.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the additive to the solvent in step (c) is an alcohol.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the alcohol additive to the solvent in step (c) is from 0% to about 30% methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, t-butyl alcohol, t-amyl alcohol, benzyl lcohol, or 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol, or a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the solvent in step (c) is benzene, toluene, benzonitrile, o-, m- or p-xylene, mesitylene, or diphenyl ether; the activated phosphite compound is a mononucleotide phosphoramidite, a dinucleotide phosphoramidite, or a polynucleotide phosphoramidite; the protetcing group of the 5′-O-protected nucleoside and the 5′-protected activated phosphite compound is dimethoxytrityl; the phosphorus linked oligomer is a phosphodiester, phosphorothioate or a phosphorodithioate oligonucleotide; and the protic acid is dichloroacetic acid.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the solvent in step (c) is toluene.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39  wherein the activated phosphite compound is a mononucleotide phosphoramidite.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the 5′-protected activated phosphorus compound is a 5′-protected activated H-phosphonate compound; and the phosphorus-linked oligomer is a H-phosphonate oligonucleotide.