| abstract |
The present invention provides fluorescent nucleoside analogs which comprise a fluorescent cyclic compound joined to a carbon of a sugar molecule such as pentose, hexose, ribose or deoxyribose or analogs thereof in either an alpha or beta configuration. The subject compounds are useful as probes in the study of the structure and dynamics of nucleic acids and their complexes with proteins. In addition, the subject compounds are useful in any technique which uses labeled oligonucleotides for detection. Non-fluorescent spacer molecules in which a cyclohexane, cyclohexene, decalin, or benzene is joined to a carbon of a sugar moiety such as pentose, hexose, ribose or deoxyribose are also provided. Also provided are the 5' dimethoxytrityl-3'-O-phosphoramidite derivatives, suitable for incorporation into oligonucleotides by automated synthesizers. Combinatorial fluorophore array (CFA) libraries comprising oligomers of the subject nucleoside analogs attached to one or more solid supports are also provided as are methods of selecting fluorophores from the CFA libraries. The present invention also provides oligonucleotide analogs comprising one or more of the subject nucleoside analogs in place of a DNA or RNA base. |