Synthesis and Enzymic Hydrolysis of Oligoribonucleotides Incorporating 3‐Deazaguanosine: The Importance of the Nitrogen‐3 Atom of Single Conserved Guanosine Residues on the Catalytic Activity of the Hammerhead Ribozyme.

Abstract

Four base-modified hammerhead ribozyme/substrate complexes were constructed in which single guanosine (1) residues were replaced by 3-deazaguanosine (2) in the positions G5, G8, GL2.1, and G12. The base-modified ribozyme complexes were prepared by solid-phase synthesis of oligoribonucleotides employing the novel phosphoramidite 3 derived from 2. Phosphoramidite 3 carried a phenoxyacetyl group at the amino function and a diphenylcarbamoyl residue at the oxo group of the nucleobase. The 2′-hydroxy group was blocked with a triisopropylsilyl residue. Kinetic analysis of the phosphodiester hydrolysis showed a moderate decrease of the ribozyme catalytic activity when the residues G5 or G8 were replaced by 3-deazaguanosine and a 200-fold decrease when G12 was substituted. A 6-fold catalytic increase occurred when 3-deazaguanosine was replacing GL2.1 in the loop region. The data indicate that the N(3) atom of compound 2, in particular at position G12 is critical for the ribozyme activity.