Optimized Large Scale Synthesis of Phosphorothioate Oligonucleotides on PS-PEG Supports
Sulphurization is a crucial step during synthesis of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides. Insufficient reaction leads to inhomogeneous products with phosphodiester defects and subsequently to destabilization of the oligomers in biological media. To achieve a maximum extent of sulphur incorporation, various sulphurizing agents have been investigated. Solely, the use of Beaucage reagent provided satisfactory results on PS-PEG supports. Based on our investigations in small scale synthesis (1 μmol) with continuous-flow technique, upscaling to the 0.1-0.25 mmolar range has been achieved using a peptide synthesizer. The syntheses were performed in batch mode with standard phosphoramidite chemistry. Additionally, large scale synthesis of a phosphodiester oligonucleotide has been carried out on PS-PEG with optimized protocols and compared to small scale synthesis on different supports. Products were analysed by 31P NMR, capillary gel electrophoresis and electrospray mass spectrometry. An extent of sulphurization of 99% and coupling effiencies of more than 99% were obtained and the products proved to have similar purity compared to small scale syntheses on CPG