[Activation by laser irradiation of a "switched on" oligonucleotide reagent for an addressed modification of nucleic acids].

Properties of oligonucleotide reagents containing an alkylating group of regulated reactivity (nitrogen mustard residue activatable upon mild borohydride reduction of the aromatic formyl group) have been studied. It was shown that these reagents can also be activated by irradiation with nitrogen laser light (lambda 337 nm). Activation of the reagent in complex with a target polydeoxyribonucleotide resulted in the addressed chemical modification of the target. The positional direction of the modification depended on the way of the activation (borohydride reduction or laser irradiation).