Synthesis of Oligodeoxynucleotides Containing N4-Mercaptoethylcytosine and Their Use in the Preparation of Oligonucleotide−Peptide Conjugates Carrying c-myc Tag-Sequence

The preparation and properties of oligodeoxynucleotides containing mercaptoethyl groups at position N-4 of cytosine are described. The resulting thiol-oligodeoxynucleotides were reacted with a maleimido-peptide carrying the c-myc tag-sequence. The peptide-oligonucleotide conjugate is specifically recognized by an anti c-myc monoclonal antibody, thus constituting a labeling system with sensitivity similar to other existing methods of nonradioactive labeling.