Oligodeoxynucleotide analogs with 5'-linked anthraquinone.

We report here the synthesis of novel 5'-linked oligodeoxynucleotides, both normal phosphodiester and phosphorothioate analogs, in which a covalently attached group at the 5'-terminus is an anthraquinone. These compounds represent a new class of antisense compounds in which the base sequence of the oligodeoxynucleotide serves to deliver a nuclease-resistant reactive drug-like molecule to a cellular target nucleic acid (mRNA or DNA).