MEMBRANE-LINKED PROBES - 5'-(POLYSULFONYLMETHYLOXYHEXAGLYCOL) OLIGONUCLEOTIDES

A novel approach for the synthesis of functional, film-forming polymers which consists of the assembly of oligonucleotides anchored on a solid support with a soluble polymeric reagent is described. Phosphoramidites of hydroxymethyl-polysulfone and hexaglycoloxymethyl-polysulfone were synthesized and were linked by phosphate ester bonds to fragments of DNA anchored on controlled pore glass supports in the last step of an automatic synthesis of oligonucleotides. Microtiter plates were coated with the oligonucleotide-hexaethyloxymethyl-polysulfone and hybridization with a complementary biotin-labelled DNA probe was applied followed by avidine-peroxidase and detection by the usual procedure. Control experiments using a non-relevant probe for hybridization or using hybridization solutions with no oligonucleotide were also performed.