Light-activatable nucleic acids caged' at the nucleobases

Abstract

The attachment of photolabile groups to biologically active molecules offers a very versatile way to put a biological effect under the control of an external trigger signal and thus confers spatiotemporal and dose control to this effect. Over the last years we have prepared a number of oligonucleotide derivatives that are modified in such a way. These derivatives are usually referred to as 'caged compounds' and in particular our photolabile 'caging groups' are located at the nucleobases of oligonucleotides so that the Watson-Crick interaction is temporarily impossible. Thus several nucleic acid-based applications have now become controllable with light. © Schweizerische Chemische Gesellschaft.