Click chemistry and nucleic acids

Click chemistry

Click chemistry is a concept introduced in 2001 by K. Barry Sharpless. In simple terms, click chemistry is the joining together of simple molecules subject to the following ideas:
  • the reaction is stereospecific
  • high yielding process
  • no by-products formed
  • the resultant linkage is stable under physiological conditions

The best example of click chemistry is the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction developed independently by Sharpless and Meldal. This reaction has been used extensively in oligonucleotide labelling, e.g. with fluorescent dyes. It has also been used to ligate oligonucleotides together without the need for enzymes.

For a recent review see El-Sagheer AH, Brown T. Click chemistry with DNA. Chem Soc Rev 2010; 39:1388-405.