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. 1991 May 25;19(10):2629–2635. doi: 10.1093/nar/19.10.2629

2'-O-methyl, 2'-O-ethyl oligoribonucleotides and phosphorothioate oligodeoxyribonucleotides as inhibitors of the in vitro U7 snRNP-dependent mRNA processing event.

M Cotten 1, B Oberhauser 1, H Brunar 1, A Holzner 1, G Issakides 1, C R Noe 1, G Schaffner 1, E Wagner 1, M L Birnstiel 1
PMCID: PMC328180  PMID: 1710340

Abstract

We describe the synthesis of 2'-O-methyl, 2'-O-ethyl oligoribonucleotides and phosphorothioate oligodeoxyribonucleotides and demonstrate their utility as inhibitors of the in vitro U7 snRNP-dependent mRNA processing event. These 2'-O-modified compounds were designed to possess the binding affinity of an RNA molecule towards a complementary RNA target with an enhanced stability against nucleases. The 2'-O-methyl and 2'-O-ethyl antisense compounds function as potent inhibitors of the reaction at 1-10 nM, approximately 5-fold more effective than a natural antisense RNA molecule and requiring an approximate 5-fold excess over the target RNA for 80% inhibition of the processing reaction.

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