Immobilization of oligonucleotides onto solid supports

1. A solid support bound polynucleotide of the formula:

wherein:

Q is a substantially pure polynucleotide;

each X is independently O or S;

Y is an inert spacer group; and

R is a solid support;

the polynucleotide being bound to the solid support, R, via a phosphoramide linkage, or a phosphate ester linkage formed by esterifying a phosphate group with a hydroxy pendent from the solid support.

2. A solid support bound 3′-O- or 5′-O-substituted polynucleotide according to claim 1 wherein the 3′-O- or 5′-O-substituent is represented by the following structural formula:

wherein:

each X is independently O or S;

Y is an inert spacer group; and

R is a solid support; and the 3′-O- and 5′-O-substituted polynucleotide are substantially pure.

3. A solid support bound polynucleotide according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein Y is a straight chained hydrocarbyl group or a polyalkylene glycol group and each X is O.

4. A solid support bound polynucleotide according to claim 3 , wherein Y is a C3–C10 alkylene group.

5. A solid support bound polynucleotide according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the polynucleotide is a polydeoxynucleotide.

6. A solid support bound polynucleotide according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the polynucleotide is a polyribonucleotide.

7. A solid support bound polynucleotide according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the solid support is amino sepharose, amino polystyrene, amino silica beads, silica control pore glass beads, an acrylate base amino support or a methacrylate base amino support.

8. A solid support bound polynucleotide according to claim 7 , wherein the solid support is amino sepharose.

9. A solid support bound polynucleotide according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the polynucleotide selectively binds a target protein.

10. A method of preparing a solid support bound polynucleotide, said method comprising the step of esterifying or amidating the terminal phosphate of a 2′-O-, 3′-O- or 5′-O-substituted polynucleotide with an amine or hydroxyl group that is pendent from a solid support, wherein the 2′-O-, 3′-O- or the 5′-O-substituent is represented by the following structural formula:

and each X is independently O or S; and Y is a straight chained hydrocarbyl group or a polyalkylene glycol group.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the terminal phosphate is esterified or amidated in the presence of 1 -(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethyl-carbodiimide.

12. The method of claim 10 or 11 , wherein the solid support is, amino sepharose, amino polystyrene, amino silica beads, silica control pore glass beads, an acrylate base amino support or a methacrylate base amino support.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the solid support is amino sepharose.

14. A method of isolating a target biomolecule from a mixture, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a solid support bound polynucleotide according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the polynucleotide selectively binds the target biomolecule; and

b) contacting the mixture with the solid support bound polynucleotide under conditions suitable for binding the target biomolecule to the polynucleotide.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the target molecule is a target protein.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of separating the solid support bound polynucleotide from the mixture and eluting the target protein from the polynucleotide.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the target molecule is a target polynucleotide which hybridizes to the solid support bound polynucleotide.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising the steps of separating the solid support bound polynucleotide from the mixture, denaturing the target polynucleotide from the solid support bound polynucleotide and isolating the target polynucleotide.