Synthesis and enzymatic properties of deoxyribooligonucleotides containing methyl and phenylphosphonate linkages.

Chemical methods for the synthesis of short deoxyribooligonucleotides containing methyl and phenylphosphonodiester linkages have been developed. The interaction of two such nonionic dinucleotide analogs, T(pCH3)T and T(pC6H5)T, with several enzymes has been investigated. Because of the phosphonate linkage each dinucleotide exists as a diastereomeric pair as shown by thin layer chromatography and enzymatic studies. Both isomers of each dinucleotide can be phosphorylated by T4-polynucleotide kinase in the presence of [gamma-32P]ATP. Only one of the diastereoisomers of each dinucleotide is slowly hydrolyzed by snake venom phosphodiesterase and acts as an inhibitor of the enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of 5'-labeled oligothymidylic acid. Both isomers of each dinucleotide analog are completely resistant to hydrolysis by spleen phosphodiesterase.