Enzymatic synthesis of 8-vinyl- and 8-styryl-2′-deoxyguanosine modified DNA-novel fluorescent molecular probes

Fluorescent analogs of the natural nucleobases are widely used as molecular probes for investigating DNA hybridization and topology. In this study the guanosine analogs 8-vinyl- and 8-styryl-2′-deoxyguanosine were synthesized and converted into the corresponding 5′-triphosphates. These C8 modified nucleotides were processed by various DNA polymerases to create fluorescent DNA. Whereas the 8-styryl modified nucleotide somewhat hampers DNA synthesis 8-vinyl-2′-deoxyguanosine is processed by DNA polymerases emphasizing the broad applicability as a molecular probe for fluorescence spectroscopy.