Oligonucleotide

An Oligonucleotide is a short DNA or RNA molecule that has a small number of nucleotides. Oligonucleotides are typically made in a laboratory by solid-phase chemical synthesis, and these small bits of nucleic acids can be manufactured to have any sequence of bases that the scientist wishes.

Structure and Function

Oligonucleotides are characterized by the sequence of nucleotide residues that make up the entire molecule. The length of the oligonucleotide is usually denoted by "-mer." For example, an oligonucleotide of six nucleotides (nt) is a hexamer, while one of 25 nt would be referred to as a "25-mer."

Oligonucleotides play crucial roles in genetic testing, research, and forensics. Commonly used oligonucleotides in a laboratory are primers for polymerase chain reaction, DNA sequencing, or microarray.

Synthesis

Oligonucleotides are chemically synthesized using building blocks called nucleoside phosphoramidites. These are used in conjunction with a DNA synthesizer to produce oligonucleotides with a specific sequence.

Applications

Oligonucleotides have a wide range of applications in genetic testing, research, and forensics. In genetics, they are commonly used as molecular probes to detect the presence of complementary sequences in an organism's DNA.

In research, oligonucleotides are used in gene synthesis, site-directed mutagenesis, and RNA interference. In forensics, they are used in DNA fingerprinting to identify individuals or species.

See Also

• Nucleic acid sequence
• Nucleic acid methods
• Oligonucleotide synthesis
• Antisense therapy