This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grants n&deg; PZ00P2_126430/1 and PZ00P2_144595). Prof. C. Leumann is gratefully acknowledged for providing the lab space and equipment, as well as for his constant support. Ms. Sue Knecht is acknowledged for fruitful discussions.

1. Synthesis of the Modified Nucleoside Triphosphates
The synthetic approach chosen follows the procedure developed by Ludwig and Eckstein since this method is generally reliable and leads to very few side-products (Figure 1A)39.
<ol>
	<li>Coevaporate the suitably 3&#8217;-OAc-protected nucleoside (&#160;typically&#160;0.1 mmol) twice with anhydrous pyridine (2 ml) and then dry under vacuum overnight. At the same time, dry tributylammonium pyrophosphate (0.13 mmol...

No conflicts of interest declared.

The inclusion of modifications into nucleic acids is of interest for numerous practical applications including the development of antisense and antigene agents42,43, labeling and functional tagging of oligonucleotides41, and in efforts to expand the genetic alphabet44-46. Chemical alterations and functional groups are usually introduced into nucleic acids by application of standard and automated solid-phase synthesis protocols. However, the phosphoramidite building blocks need to be resil...

5&#39;-Nucleoside triphosphates ((d)NTPs) represent a class of vital biomolecules that are involved in countless processes and functions ranging from being the universal currency of energy to regulators of cell metabolism. In addition to their role in these fundamental biological transformations, their modified counterparts have advanced as a versatile and mild platform for the introduction of functional groups into oligonucleotides, a methodology that nicely complements the automated solid-phase synthesis that is usually applied1,2. Indeed, provided the (d)NTPs can act as substrates for RNA and DNA polymerases3, a wealth of functional groups including amino acids4-13, boronic acids14,15, nornbornene16, diamondoid-like residues17, side-chains for organocatalysis18, bile acids19, and even oligonucleotides20 can be introduced into oligonucleotides.
Beyond representing a convenient vector for the functionalization of nucleic acids, modified dNTPs can be engaged in SELEX and other related combinatorial methods of in vitro selection for the generation of modified catalytic nucleic acids21-30 and aptamers for various practical applications10,31-36. The additional side-chains that are introduced by the polymerization of the modified dNTPs are thought to increase the chemical space that can be explored during a selection experiment and supplement the rather poor functional arsenal of nucleic acids37. However, despite these attractive traits and the recent progress made in the development of both synthetic and analytical methods, no universally applicable and high-yielding procedure exists for the crafting of modified nucleoside triphosphates2,38.
The aim of this present protocol is to shed light into the (sometimes) intricate procedures leading to the synthesis and biochemical characterization of these activated building blocks (Figure 1B). Special emphasis will be given on all the synthetic details that often are difficult to find or are absent in experimental sections but are yet crucial for the successful completion of the synthetic pathway leading to the isolation of pure (d)NTPs (Figure 1).

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="799">
	<colgroup>
		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
	</colgroup>
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">tributylammonium pyrophosphate&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:143px;">P8533</td>
			<td style="width:215px;">Hygroscopic solid, keep under Ar</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">2-chloro-1,3,2-benzodioxaphosphorin-4-one&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:143px;">324124</td>
			<td>Moisture sensitive</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">Pyridine</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:143px;">82704</td>
			<td>Under molecular sieves</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">Dioxane</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:143px;">296309</td>
			<td>Under molecular sieves</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">dimethylformamide (DMF)</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:143px;">40248</td>
			<td>Under molecular sieves</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:333px;">Acetonitrile&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td>HPLC grade</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">Triethylamine</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:143px;">90342</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">Tributylamine</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:143px;">90781</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="25">
			<td height="25" style="height:25px;width:333px;">ddH2O</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Milli-Q</td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td>deionized and purified water, autoclaved in the presence of Diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC)</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:143px;">159220</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="86">
			<td height="86" style="height:86px;width:333px;">D2O</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Cambridge Isotope Laboratories, Inc.</td>
			<td style="width:143px;">DLM-4-25</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">Biochemical reagents</td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:333px;">g-[32P]-ATP</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Hartmann Analytics</td>
			<td style="width:143px;">FP-301</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">Natural dNTPs</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Promega</td>
			<td style="width:143px;">U1420</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="24">
			<td height="24" style="height:24px;width:333px;">Vent (exo-) DNA polymerase</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">NEB</td>
			<td style="width:143px;">M0257S</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">DNA polymerase I, Large (Klenow) Fragment</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">NEB</td>
			<td style="width:143px;">MO210S</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="25">
			<td height="25" style="height:25px;width:333px;">9&#176;Nm DNA polymerase</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">NEB</td>
			<td style="width:143px;">MO260S</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">Terminal deoxynucleotidyl Transferase (TdT)</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Promega</td>
			<td style="width:143px;">M828A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">Pwo DNA polymerase</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Peqlab</td>
			<td style="width:143px;">01 01 5010</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:333px;">T4 PNK</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>EK0032</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">Acrylamide/bisacrylamide (19:1, 40%)</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Serva</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:143px;">10679.01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:333px;">Agarose</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Apollo Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:143px;">BIA1177</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">G10 Sephadex</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:143px;">G10120</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:333px;">Urea</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Apollo Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:143px;">BIU4110</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">Equipment</td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:333px;">Jupiter semi-preparative RP-HPLC column (5m C18 300&#197;)</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Phenomenex</td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">Gene Q Thermal Cycler</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Bioconcept</td>
			<td style="width:143px;">BYQ6042E</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">PCR vials</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Bioconcept</td>
			<td style="width:143px;">3220-00</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:333px;">HPLC system</td>
			<td style="width:109px;">Amersham Pharmacia Biotech</td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td>&#196;kta basic 10/100</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">Oligonucleotides</td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:333px;">All oligonucleotides were purchased from Microsynth and purified by PAGE</td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">5&#39;-CAAGGACAAAATACCTGTATTCCTT P1</td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:333px;">5&#39;-GACATCATGAGAGACATCGCCTCTGGGCTAAT-AGGACTACTTCTAATCTGTAAGAGCAGATCCCTGG-ACAGGCAAGGAATACAGGTATTTTGTCCTTG T1</td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">5&#39;-GAATTCGATATCAAG P2</td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;"></td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:333px;">More information on experimental procedures and equipment can be found in the following articles:</td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:333px;">Chem. Eur. J. 2012, 18, 13320 &#8211; 13330</td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:333px;">Org. Biomol. Chem. 2013, DOI: 10.1039/C3OB40842F.</td>
			<td style="width:109px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

nucleoside triphosphates - from synthesis to biochemical characterization

The traditional strategy for the introduction of chemical functionalities is the use of solid-phase synthesis by appending suitably modified phosphoramidite precursors to the nascent chain. However, the conditions used during the synthesis and the restriction to rather short sequences hamper the applicability of this methodology. On the other hand, modified nucleoside triphosphates are activated building blocks that have been employed for the mild introduction of numerous functional groups into nucleic acids, a strategy that paves the way for the use of modified nucleic acids in a wide-ranging palette of practical applications such as functional tagging and generation of ribozymes and DNAzymes. One of the major challenges resides in the intricacy of the methodology leading to the isolation and characterization of these nucleoside analogues.
	
	In this video article, we present a detailed protocol for the synthesis of these modified analogues using phosphorous(III)-based reagents. In addition, the procedure for their biochemical characterization is divulged, with a special emphasis on primer extension reactions and TdT tailing polymerization. This detailed protocol will be of use for the crafting of modified dNTPs and their further use in chemical biology.

Modified nucleoside triphosphates are alluring synthetic targets since they allow for the facile introduction of an vast array of functional groups into nucleic acids41. However, the isolation and characterization of these activated building blocks is often revealed to be arduous. Consequently, the results shown herein are thought to provide a helping hand to follow the various steps within the aforementioned synthetic and biochemical procedures (Figure 1B).
In part...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Nucleoside Triphosphates - From Synthesis to Biochemical Characterization at JoVE.com

Nucleoside Triphosphates - From Synthesis to Biochemical Characterization

The protocol described herein aims to explain and abridge the numerous obstacles in the way of the intricate route leading to modified nucleoside triphosphates. Consequently, this protocol facilitates both the synthesis of these activated building-blocks and their availability for practical applications.

The  traditional strategy for the introduction of chemical functionalities is the  use of solid-phase synthesis by appending suitably modified ...

nucleoside-triphosphates-from-synthesis-to-biochemical

Research

JoVE Journal

Chemistry

16.9K visualizações.  University of Bern.  O protocolo aqui descrito visa explicar e resumir os numerosos obstáculos no caminho da rota intrincada levando a trifosfatos de nucleosídeos modificados. Consequentemente, este protocolo facilita tanto a síntese desses blocos de construção ativados e sua disponibilidade para aplicações práticas. 