Photoanalogues of the Initiation Substrates of the RNA Polymerase II, 5‐Azido‐2‐Nitrobenzoyl Derivatives of the ATP γ‐Amidophosphate: The Possible Photoinduced Degradation of the Functional Group to an N‐Arylhydroxylamine

Abstract

Photoanlogues of the initiation substrates of the RNA polymerase II, N₃Ar‐ NH(CH₂)_nNHpppA where N₃Ar is 5‐azido‐2‐nitrobenzoyl group (n = 2 or 4) were synthesized, allowing the preparation of photoreactive oligonucleotides in situ by RNA polymerase II for application as photolabels. Photolysis of p‐nitro‐substituted aromatic azide in aqueous medium was investigated. Using the azoxy‐coupling reaction it was possible to determine whether a nitrene or p‐nitrophenyl hydroxylamine azoxy compound is the trappable intermediate that is generated at ambient temperature in aqueous solution.

Keywords:

• Photoanalogues NTP
• Aryl azide
• Long‐lived intermediate

Acknowledgments

We are grateful for grant support provided by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (00‐04‐49258, 02‐04‐48080 and 03‐04‐06132).