Oligonucleotide analogs containing sulfur linkages

Claim 2

A compound having a formula selected from the group consisting of ##STR4## wherein V is selected from the group consisting of --O-- and --CH 2 --; B is a base analog that can form hydrogen bonds to natural oligonucleoside bases, wherein B is selected from the group consisting of adenine, 7-deazaadenine, 7-deaza-8-azaadenine, 3,7-dideazaadenine, 8-deazaadenine, guanine, 3-deazaguanine, 7-deaza-8-azaguanine, 3,7-dideazaaguanine, 3,7-dideaza-8-azaguanine, 7-deazaguanine, 8-azaguanine, purine, azapurine, 2,6-diaminopurine, hypoxanthine, uracil, 5-azauracil, 6-azauracil, 5-fluorouracil, 5-bromouracil, 5-iodouracil, thymine, 6-azathymine, cytosine, 6-azacytosine, 5-azacytosine, pyrimidine, azapyrimidine, pyrrolopyrimidine, pyrazolopyrimidine, triazolopyrimidine, imidazolopyrimidine, pyridine, imidazolopyridine, pyrrolopyridine, pyrazolopyridine and triazolopyridine.

Claim 3

A compound having the formula: S.sub.1 (J.sub.1 --A.sub.1 --J.sub.2 --A.sub.2).sub.n S.sub.2 wherein n is an integer less than 25; wherein S 1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aralkyl and S 2 is selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, S-alkyl and S-aralkyl; J 1 and J 2 are linking groups independently selected from the group consisting of sulfide, sulfoxide, and sulfone whereby J 1 and J 2 may be different in each n subunit; A 1 and A 2 may be different in each n subunit and are independently selected from the formulae consisting of: ##STR5## wherein V is independently selected from --O-- or --CH 2 --; E is a base analog independently selected from the group consisting of adenine, 7-deazaadenine, 7-deaza-8-azaadenine, 3,7-dideazaadenine, 8-deazaadenine, guanine, 3-deazaguanine, 7-deaza-8-azaguanine, 3,7-dideazaaguanine, 3,7-dideaza-8-azaguanine, 7-deazaguanine, 8-azaguanine, purine, azapurine, 2,6-diaminopurine. hypoxanthine, uracil, 5-azauracil, 6-azauracil, 5-fluorouracil, 5-bromouracil, 5-iodouracil, thymine, 6-azathymine, cytosine, 6-azacytosine, 5-azacytosine, pyrimidine, azapyrimidine, pyrrolopyrimidine, pyrazolopyrimidine, triazolopyrimidine, imidazolopyrimidine, pyridine, imidazolopyridine, pyrrolopyridine, pyrazolopyridine and triazolopyridine; L 1 is a linking roup containing from zero to four linking units independently selected from the group consisting of --CH 2 --and --O--; L 2 is a linking group containing from 1 to 5 linking units independently selected from the group consisting of --CH 2 and --O--; L 3 is a linking group containing from 0 to 5 linking units independently selected from the group consisting of --CH 2 -- and --O--; whereby for each A 1 or A 2 of formula (II), the number of linking units in L 1 is less than or equal to the sum of the number of linking units in L 2 and L 3 .

Claim 4

A compound having the formula: S.sub.1 (J.sub.1 --A.sub.1 --J.sub.2 --A.sub.2).sub.n S.sub.2 wherein n is an integer less than 25; wherein S 1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aralkyl and S 2 is selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, S-alkyl and S-aralkyl; J 1 and J 2 are linking groups independently selected from the group consisting of sulfide, sulfoxide, and sulfone whereby J 1 and J 2 may be different in each n subunit; A 1 and A 2 may be different in each n subunit and are independently selected from the formulae consisting of: ##STR5## wherein V is independently selected from --O-- or --CH 2 --; E is a base analog independently selected from the group consisting of adenine, 7-deazaadenine, 7-deaza-8-azaadenine, 3,7-dideazaadenine, 8-deazaadenine, guanine, 3-deazaguanine, 7-deaza-8-azaguanine, 3,7-dideazaaguanine, 3,7-dideaza-8-azaguanine, 7-deazaguanine, 8-azaguanine, purine, azapurine, 2,6-diaminopurine. hypoxanthine, uracil, 5-azauracil, 6-azauracil, 5-fluorouracil, 5-bromouracil, 5-iodouracil, thymine, 6-azathymine, cytosine, 6-azacytosine, 5-azacytosine, pyrimidine, azapyrimidine, pyrrolopyrimidine, pyrazolopyrimidine, triazolopyrimidine, imidazolopyrimidine, pyridine, imidazolopyridine, pyrrolopyridine, pyrazolopyridine and triazolopyridine; L 1 is a linking roup containing from zero to four linking units independently selected from the group consisting of --CH 2 --and --O--; L 2 is a linking group containing from 1 to 5 linking units independently selected from the group consisting of --CH 2 and --O--; L 3 is a linking group containing from 0 to 5 linking units independently selected from the group consisting of --CH 2 -- and --O--; whereby for each A 1 or A 2 of formula (II), the number of linking units in L 1 is less than or equal to the sum of the number of linking units in L 2 and L 3 .

Claim 5

A compound having the formula: ##STR6## wherein is an integer less than 25; wherein S 1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aralkyl and S 2 is selected from the group consisting of hyroxyl, 8-alkyl and 8-aralkyl, J is a linking group independently selected from the group consisting of sulfide, sulfoxide, and sulfone, V is independently selected from --O-- or CH 2 --; and B is a base analog independently selected from the group consisting of adenine, 7-deazaadenine, 7-deaza-8-azaadenine, 3,7-dideazaadenine, 8-deazaadenine, guanine, 3-deazaguanine, 7-deaza-8-azaguanine, 3,7-dideazaaguanine, 3,7-dideaza-8-azaguanine, 7-deazaguanine, 8-azaguanine, purine, azapurine, 2,6-diaminopurine, hypoxanthine, uracil, 5-azauracil, 6-azauracil, 5-fluorouracil, 5-bromouracil, 5-iodouracil, thymine, 6-azathymine, cytosine, 6-azacytosine, 5-azacytosine, pyrimidine, azapyrimidine, pyrrolopyrimidine, pyrazolopyrimidine, triazolopyrimidine, imidazolopyrimidine, pyridine, imidazolopyridine, pyrrolopyridine, pyrazolopyridine and triazolopyridine, whereby J, V, and B may be different in each n subunit.

Claim 6

A compound having the formula: ##STR6## wherein is an integer less than 25; wherein S 1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl and aralkyl and S 2 is selected from the group consisting of hyroxyl, 8-alkyl and 8-aralkyl, J is a linking group independently selected from the group consisting of sulfide, sulfoxide, and sulfone, V is independently selected from --O-- or CH 2 --; and B is a base analog independently selected from the group consisting of adenine, 7-deazaadenine, 7-deaza-8-azaadenine, 3,7-dideazaadenine, 8-deazaadenine, guanine, 3-deazaguanine, 7-deaza-8-azaguanine, 3,7-dideazaaguanine, 3,7-dideaza-8-azaguanine, 7-deazaguanine, 8-azaguanine, purine, azapurine, 2,6-diaminopurine, hypoxanthine, uracil, 5-azauracil, 6-azauracil, 5-fluorouracil, 5-bromouracil, 5-iodouracil, thymine, 6-azathymine, cytosine, 6-azacytosine, 5-azacytosine, pyrimidine, azapyrimidine, pyrrolopyrimidine, pyrazolopyrimidine, triazolopyrimidine, imidazolopyrimidine, pyridine, imidazolopyridine, pyrrolopyridine, pyrazolopyridine and triazolopyridine, whereby J, V, and B may be different in each n subunit.