Evaluation of 2′-hydroxyl protection in RNA-synthesis using the H-phosphonate approach

A number of different protecting groups were compared with respect to their usefulness for protection of 2′-hydroxyl functions during synthesis of oligoribonucleotides using the H-phosphonate approach. The comparison was between the t-butyldimethylsllyl (t-BDMSi), the o-chlorobenzoyl (o-CIBz), the tetrahydropyranyl (THP), the 1-(2-fluorophenyl)-4-methoxypiperidin-4-yl (Fpmp), the 1-(2-chloro-4-methylphenyl)-4-methoxypiperidin-4-yl (Ctmp), and the 1-{2-chloroeth-oxy)ethyl (Cee) protecting groups. All these groups were tested in synthesis of dodecamers, (Up)₁₁U and (Up)₁₉A, using 5′-O-(4-monomethoxytrityl) or (4,4′-dimethoxytrityl) uridine H-phosphonate building blocks carrying the respective 2′-protection. The performance of the t-BDMSI and o-CIBz derivatives were also compared in synthesis of (Up)₁₉U. The most successful syntheses were clearly those where the t-butyl-dimethylsilyl group was used. The o-chlorobenzoyl group also gave satisfactory results but seems somewhat limited with respect to synthesis of longer oligomers. The results with all tested acetal derivatives (Fpmp, Ctmp, Cee, THP) were much less successful due to some accompanying cleavage of internucleotidic H-phosphonate functions during removal of 5′-O-protection (DMT).