Some improvements in the synthesis of DNA of biological interest.

In a brief summary the improvements introduced during synthesis of a minigene coding for the peptide hormone angiotensin II are outlined. Furthermore some recent improvements are reviewed: comprehensive study of N-protecting groups for the heterocyclic bases, effective 3'-O-phosphorylation using phosphomonochloridates and molecular sieves, a quick and mild detritylation procedure without any depurination using ZnBr2, a convenient tritylation method using molecular sieves, introduction of a sugar spray reagent for a simpler interpretation of tlc, an improved two-step-one-flask procedure for the synthesis of fully protected triester intermediates, an introduction of new phosphate protecting groups removable by beta-elimination in homogeneous phase, synthesis of the internucleotidic phosphotriester linkage using phosphomonoazolide derivatives of deoxynucleosides, versatile methods for anchoring nucleosides to a polymer support and a computerized nucleic acid synthesizer.