Template-directed oligonucleotide strand ligation, covalent intramolecular DNA circularization and catenation using click chemistry

R. Kumar, A. H. El-Sagheer, J. Tumpane, P. Lincoln, L. M. Wilhelmsson and T. Brown. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129 (21), 6859-6864, 2007.

One of the most cited JACS papers in 2007.

Abstract

The copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction has been used for the template-mediated chemical ligation of two oligonucleotide strands, one with a 5'-alkyne and the other with a 3'-azide, to produce a DNA strand with an unnatural backbone at the ligation point. A template-free click-ligation reaction has been used for the intramolecular circularization of a single stranded oligonucleotide which was used as a template for the synthesis of a covalently closed DNA catenane.