A novel synthesis of oligonucleotide-peptide conjugates with a base- labile phosphate linker between the two components according to the allyl- protected phosphoramidite strategy

An efficient synthesis of base-labile nucleotide-peptide conjugates has been accomplished, in which the two components are directly linked between the terminal hydroxyl of a nucleotide and the hydroxyl of a serine or threonine residue of a peptide by a phosphodiester bond. This synthesis utilizes the phosphoramidite method with allyl for the phosphate linkages and the C-terminal of the peptide and allyloxycarbonyl for the nucleoside bases and the N-terminal of the peptide. In this synthesis, the removal of the allylic protecting groups and the detachment of the products was achieved under non-basic or mild basic conditions to bring about no conspicuous decomposition of the labile phosphate linker, and thus the target conjugates were obtained at a high purity and in high yields. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd.