Oligonucleotide ligation

US8846883B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON · GB

Inventors

• Tom Brown · West Chester, US
• Afaf Helmy El-Sagheer · Southampton, GB

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 1, 2012
• Grant date: Sep 30, 2014
• Expiry date: Mar 1, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07H21/04
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Oligonucleotide chemistry is central to the advancement of core technologies such as DNA sequencing, forensic and genetic analysis and has impacted greatly on the discipline of molecular biology. Oligonucleotides and their analogues are essential tools in these areas. They are often produced by automated solid-phase phosphoramidite synthesis but it is difficult to synthesize long DNA and RNA sequences by this method. Methods are proposed for ligating oligonucleotides together, in particular the use of an azide-alkyne coupling reaction to ligate the backbones of oligonucleotides together to form longer oligonucleotides that can be synthesized using current phosphoramidite synthesis methods.