3-Fluoro-2-mercuri-6-methylaniline Nucleotide as a High-Affinity Nucleobase-Specific Hybridization Probe.

A 3-fluoro-6-methylaniline nucleoside was synthesized and incorporated into an oligonucleotide, and its ability to form mercury-mediated base pairs was studied. UV melting experiments revealed increased duplex stability with thymine, guanine, and cytosine opposite to the probe and a clear nucleobase-specific binding preference (T > G > C > A). Moreover, the 3-fluoro group was utilized as a spin label that showed distinct F NMR resonance shifts depending on the complementary nucleobase, providing more detailed information on Hg(II)-mediated base pairing.