Interchangeable PEG-supported synthesis of peptide-oligonucleotide chimeras

A procedure has been developed for the preparation of peptide-PEG-oligonucleotide conjugates: the two sequences were synthesized at the extremities of the same commercial high-molecular-weight polyethylene glycol (PEG) starting both from the peptide as well as from the oligonucleotide component. The commercial PEG was modified at its terminal hydroxyl functions with two orthogonal protecting groups (DMT and Fmoc). The selective removal of those groups allowed the synthesis of the chimeras following two different, interchangeable strategies. Comparison of the final conjugates suggested that their production was equally effective. ((C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004).