New substituted aryldiazomethyl labels for high density DNA chip-based nucleic acid testing.

DNA and RNA labeling and detection are key steps in nucleic acid testing, particularly for molecular diagnostics applications. Here, we report a new class of aryldiazomethyl labels that include in their structure a biotin moiety as a detectable unit and a nitro substituted phenyl diazomethyl as a reactive group. The greatest reactivity towards phosphates of nucleic acids, the water solubility and the stability of these new molecules were demonstrated. These very important properties, which are the main requirements for nucleic acid labeling in aqueous conditions using automated protocols within integrated diagnostic devices, make them the perfect labeling tools for hybridization-based analysis, especially for high-density DNA chips.