Solid carriers with peptide nucleic acid probes and methods for regeneration

1. A solid carrier comprising at least two single stranded peptide nucleic acid probes of different base sequence covalently bound to the solid carrier at separate and distinct regions; wherein the probes have the general formula (I):

wherein:

n is at least 2,

each of L 1 –L n is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxy, (C 1 –C 4 ) alkanoyl, naturally occurring nucleobases, non-naturally occurring nucleobases, aromatic moieties, DNA intercalators, nucleobase-binding groups and reporter ligands, at least one of L 1 –L n being a naturally occurring nucleobase, a non-naturally occurring nucleobase, a DNA intercalator, or a nucleobase-binding group;

each of A 1 through A n is a single bond, a methylene group or a group of formula (IIa) or (IIb):

wherein in (IIa) or (IIb):

X is O, S, Se, NR 3 , CH 2 or C(CH 3 ) 2 ;

Y is a single bond, O, S or NR 4 ;

each of p and q is an integer from 1 to 5, the sum p+q being not more than 10;

each of r and ss is zero or an integer from 1 to 5, the sum r+ss being not more than 10;

each R 1 and R 2 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C 1 –C 4 ) alkyl which may be hydroxy- or alkoxy- or alkylthio-substituted, hydroxy, alkoxy, alkylthio, amino and halogen; and

each R 3 and R 4 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C 1 –C 4 )alkyl, hydroxy- or alkoxy- or alkylthio-substituted (C 1 –C 4 )alkyl, hydroxy, alkoxy, alkylthio and amino;

and wherein in formula (1)

each of B 1 –B n is N or R 3 N + , where R 3 is as defined above; each of C 1 –C n is CR 6 R 7 , CHR 6 CHR 7 or CR 6 R 7 CH 2 , wherein R 6 is hydrogen and R 7 is selected from the group consisting of the side chains of naturally occurring alpha amino acids, or R 6 and R 7 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C 2 –C 6 ) alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, heteroaryl, hydroxy, (C 1 –C 6 ) alkoxy, (C 1 –C 6 ) alkylthio, NR 3 R 4 and SR 5 , where R 3 and R 4 are as defined above, and R 5 is hydrogen, (C 1 –C 6 )alkyl, hydroxy-, alkoxy-, or alkylthio- substituted (C 1 –C 6 )alkyl, or R 6 and R 7 taken together complete an alicyclic or heterocyclic system;

each of D 1 –D n is CR 6 R 7 , CH 2 CR 6 R 7 or CHR 6 CHR 7 , where R 6 and R 7 are as defined above;

each of G 1 –G n-1 is

in any orientation, wherein R 3 is as defined above;

Q is —CO 2 H, —CONR′R″, —SO 3 H or SO 2 NR′R″ or an activated derivative of —CO 2 H, —SO 3 H; and

I is —NHR′″R″″ or —NR′″C(O)R″″,

where R′, R″, R′″ and R″″ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, amino protecting groups, reporter ligands, intercalators, chelators, peptides, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, steroids, oligonucleotides and soluble and non-soluble polymers, wherein C and D can optionally be CHR 6 (CH 2 ) sss CHR 7 where sss is from 0 to 2 and wherein the solid carrier is manufactured by binding fully formed peptide nucleic acid probes to different binding regions on the surface of the solid carrier.

2. The solid carrier according to claim 1 , wherein said separate and distinct regions are separated from each other by regions where no probes are bound.

3. The solid carrier according to claim 1 , wherein said probes are all identical in length of bases.

4. The solid carrier according to claim 1 , wherein said probes all have a length of between 10 and 50 bases.

5. The solid carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the solid carrier is basically planar.

6. The solid carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the peptide nucleic acid probes have the general formula (III):

wherein:

each L is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, phenyl, heterocycles, one, two or three rings, naturally occurring nucleobases, and non-naturally occurring nucleobases;

each R 7 ′ is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and the side chains of naturally occurring alpha amino acids;

n is an integer from 1 to 60;

each of k, 1 and m is independently zero or an integer from 1 to 5; and optionally the sum of k and m is 1 or 2;

R h is OH, NH 2 or —NHLysNH 2 ; and

R i is H or COCH 3 .

7. The solid carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the peptide nucleic acid probes have a backbone of 2-aminoethyl-glycine subunits.

8. The solid carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the binding of the different peptide nucleic acid probes to the different binding regions takes place simultaneously or sequentially.

9. The solid carrier according to claim 1 , wherein reactive groups of the peptide nucleic acid probe and reactive groups of the solid carrier are covalently bound to each other by means of a linker.

10. The solid carrier according to claim 9 , wherein the linker is more than 15 atoms and less than 200 atoms long.

11. A solid carrier comprising at least two single stranded peptide nucleic acid probes of different base sequence covalently bound to the solid carrier at separate and distinct regions; wherein the probes have the general formula (I):

wherein:

n is at least 2,

each of L 1 –L n is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxy, (C 1 –C 4 ) alkanoyl, naturally occurring nucleobases, non-naturally occurring nucleobases, aromatic moieties, DNA intercalators, nucleobase-binding groups and reporter ligands, at least one of L 1 –L n being a naturally occurring nucleobase, a non-naturally occurring nucleobase, a DNA intercalator, or a nucleobase-binding group;

each of A 1 through A n is a single bond, a methylene group or a group of formula (IIa) or (IIb):

wherein in (IIa) or (IIb):

X is O, S, Se, NR 3 , CH 2 or C(CH 3 ) 2 ;

Y is a single bond, O, S or NR 4 ;

each of p and q is an integer from 1 to 5, the sum p+q being not more than 10;

each of r and ss is zero or an integer from 1 to 5, the sum r+ss being not more than 10;

each R 1 and R 2 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C 1 –C 4 ) alkyl which may be hydroxy- or alkoxy- or alkylthio-substituted, hydroxy, alkoxy, alkylthio, amino and halogen; and

each R 3 and R 4 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C 1 –C 4 )alkyl, hydroxy- or alkoxy- or alkylthio-substituted (C 1 –C 4 )alkyl, hydroxy, alkoxy, alkylthio and amino;

and wherein in formula (1)

each of B 1 –B n is N or R 3 N 30 , where R 3 is as defined above;

each of C 1 –C n is CR 6 R 7 , CHR 6 CHR 7 or CR 6 R 7 CH 2 , wherein R 6 is hydrogen and R 7 is selected from the group consisting of the side chains of naturally occurring alpha amino acids, or R 6 and R 7 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C 2 –C 6 ) alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, heteroaryl, hydroxy, (C 2 –C 6 ) alkoxy, (C 2 –C 6 ) alkylthio, NR 3 R 4 and SR 5 , where R 3 and R 4 are as defined above, and R 5 is hydrogen, (C 2 –C 6 )alkyl, hydroxy-, alkoxy-, or alkylthio-substituted (C 2 –C 6 )alkyl, or R 6 and R 7 taken together complete an alicyclic or heterocyclic system;

each of D 1 –D n is CR 6 R 7 , CH 2 CR 6 R 7 or CHR 6 CHR 7 , where R 6 and R 7 are as defined above;

each of G 1 –G n-1 is

in any orientation, wherein R 3 is as defined above;

Q is —CO 2 H, —CONR′R″, —SO 3 H or SO 2 NR′R″ or an activated derivative of —CO 2 H, —SO 3 H; and

I is —NHR′″R″″ or —NR′″C(O)R″″,

where R′, R″, R′″ and R″″ are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, amino protecting groups, reporter ligands, intercalators, chelators, peptides, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, steroids, oligonucleotides and soluble and non-soluble polymers, wherein C and D can optionally be CHR 6 (CH 2 ) sss CHR 7 where sss is from 0 to 2 and wherein;

reactive groups of the peptide nucleic acid probe and reactive groups of the solid carrier are covalently bound to each other by means of a linker that is more than 15 atoms and less than 200 atoms long.

12. The solid carrier according to claim 11 , wherein the linker comprises alkylene units.

13. The solid carrier according to claim 11 , wherein the linker comprises one or more ethylene oxy units and/or peptide groups.

14. The solid carrier according to claim 11 , wherein the linker comprises one or more 8-amino-3,6-dioxa-octanic acid units.

15. A method for regenerating a solid carrier in accordance with claim 1 and that has at least two different peptide nucleic acid probes bound to its surface, to which a nucleic acid is hybridized, said method comprising:

a) treating the carrier under conditions for denaturing of peptide nucleic acid/nucleic acid complexes; and

b) washing the solid carrier to remove denatured nucleic acid polymers.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein distilled water at elevated temperature is used to cause denaturing of the peptide nucleic acid/nucleic acid complexes.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein a solution containing sodium hydroxide at elevated temperature is used to cause denaturing of the peptide nucleic acid/nucleic acid complexes.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the solid carrier is basically planar.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the peptide nucleic acid probes have the general formula (III):

wherein:

each L is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, phenyl, heterocycles, one, two or three rings, naturally occurring nucleobases, and non-naturally occurring nucleobases;

each R 7′ is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and the side chains of naturally occurring alpha amino acids;

n is an integer from 1 to 60;

each of k, 1 and m is independently zero or an integer from 1 to 5; and optionally the sum of k and m is 1 or 2;

R h is OH, NH 2 or —NHLysNH 2 ; and

R i is H or COCH 3 .

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the peptide nucleic acid probes have a backbone of 2-aminoethyl-glycine subunits.