Fedorova O A, Gottikh M B, Maksimenko A V, Oretskaia T S, Shabarova Z A
Bioorg Khim. 1995 Nov;21(11):868-73.
The mechanism of chemical ligation with cyanogen bromide in the presence of an N-substituted morpholine was studied. Addition of the cyano group to the tertiary nitrogen atom of the N-substituted morpholine with the formation of a quaternary ammonium cation is shown to be the first step of the reaction; it is this cation that activates the oligonucleotide phosphate group. This method of activation can be used to obtain phosphodiester derivatives of nucleotides without DNA duplex. Optimal conditions of the chemical ligation were selected.
