Template-dependent DNA Ligation for the Synthesis of Modified Oligonucleotides

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2024 Sep 13

PMID 39271668

Authors

Nazarii Sabat

Andreas Stampfli

Steven Hanlon

Serena Bisagni

Filippo Sladojevich

Kurt Puntener

Marcel Hollenstein

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Chemical modification of DNA is a common strategy to improve the properties of oligonucleotides, particularly for therapeutics and nanotechnology. Existing synthetic methods essentially rely on phosphoramidite chemistry or the polymerization of nucleoside triphosphates but are limited in terms of size, scalability, and sustainability. Herein, we report a robust alternative method for the de novo synthesis of modified oligonucleotides using template-dependent DNA ligation of shortmer fragments. Our approach is based on the fast and scaled accessibility of chemically modified shortmer monophosphates as substrates for the T3 DNA ligase. This method has shown high tolerance to chemical modifications, flexibility, and overall efficiency, thereby granting access to a broad range of modified oligonucleotides of different lengths (20 → 120 nucleotides). We have applied this method to the synthesis of clinically relevant antisense drugs and ultramers containing diverse modifications. Furthermore, the designed chemoenzymatic approach has great potential for diverse applications in therapeutics and biotechnology.

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