Phosphorothioate Bonds

 

The phosphorothioate (PS) bond substitutes a sulfur atom for a non-bridging oxygen in the phosphate backbone of an oligo. This modification renders the internucleotide linkage resistant to nuclease degradation. Phosphorothioate bonds can be introduced between the last 3-5 nucleotides at the 5'- or 3'-end of the oligo to inhibit exonuclease degradation. Including phosphorothioate bonds throughout the entire oligo will help reduce attack by endonucleases as well.

 

 

Phosphorothioate Bond Entry
Bond Name	Symbol	Example
Phosphorothioated DNA bases	_*	e.g. A*
Phosphorothioated RNA bases	r_*	e.g. rA*
Phosphorothioated 2' O-methyl bases	m_*	e.g. mA*
Phosphorothioated LNA bases	+_*	e.g. +A*