Synthesis of photo-responsive acridine-modified DNA and its application to site-selective RNA scission.

Photo-responsive phosphoramidite monomers, which bear an azobenzene between acridine and the phosphoramidite unit, were synthesized, and incorporated into oligonucleotides. Upon UV irradiation, the azobenzene in the modified DNA efficiently isomerized from the trans isomer into the cis isomer. Although the T(m) values of their duplexes with complementary DNA were not much changed by the isomerization, site-selective RNA scission was significantly accelerated by the UV irradiation when Mn(II) ion was used as the catalyst for RNA scission.