The Mechanism of Cleavage Under Basic Conditions of Succinyl-Anchored Oligonucleotides

Abstract
Studies with a model compound provide direct evidence that cleavage of succinyl-anchored oligonucleotides takes place by intramolecular nucleophilic attack of the conjugate base of the succinamide at the ester carbonyl group. An N-substituted succinimide is exclusively formed with piperidine, DBU and TBAF, but when ammonia is used-this general mechanism seems to coexist with ammonolysis of the succinate ester. Cleavage with TBAF is extremely fast.