Nucleic acid-binding polymers

• US 20040157217A1
• Filed: 02/06/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veridian Systems Divisions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Veridian Systems Divisions, Inc.
• Inventors: Terlesky, Kathy, Earle, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 7,223,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/6
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 220/60 containing nitrogen in addition to the carbonamido nitrogen

Abstract

The present invention relates to a nucleic acid binding polymer which has affinity for nucleic acid molecules such as DNA, RNA, or hybrids thereof. The polymer is comprised of a nucleic acid binding backbone linked to a nucleic acid binding agent, preferably by a linking moiety. The polymer can be used to isolate and purify nucleic acid molecules from a variety of sample types including but not limited to clinical and environmental.

Claims

1. A water soluble nucleic acid binding polymer comprising a backbone polymer and a nucleic acid binding agent.

2. The nucleic acid binding polymer of claim 1, comprising a bifunctional linker.

3. The nucleic acid binding polymer of claim 2, wherein said nucleic acid binding polymer binds in aqueous solution to a nucleic acid by hydrogen, electrostatic or cationic binding.

4. The nucleic acid binding polymer of claim 3, wherein said nucleic acid is DNA, RNA or a hybrid thereof.

5. The nucleic acid binding polymer of claim 3, wherein said nucleic acid binding polymer remains soluble after binding to a nucleic acid.

6. The nucleic acid binding polymer of claim 1, wherein said backbone polymer is linear polyacrylamide.

7. The nucleic acid binding polymer of claim 1, wherein said nucleic acid binding agent is an intercalating agent or a minor groove binder.

8. The nucleic acid binding polymer of claim 1, wherein said nucleic acid binding agent is both an intercalating agent and a minor groove binder.

9. The nucleic acid binding polymer of claim 7, wherein said intercalating agent is ethidium, ethidium bromide, methidium acridine, aminoacridine, acridine orange and derivatives thereof, psoralen, proflavin, ellipticine, actinomycin D, daunomycin, malachite green, phenyl neutral red, mitomycin C, HOECHST 33342, HOECHST 33258, aclarubicin, DAPI, SYBR, Adriamycin, pirarubicin, actinomycin, tris (phenanthroline) zinc salt, tris (phenanthroline) ruthenium salt, tris (phenantroline) cobalt salt, di (phenanthroline) zinc salt, di (phenanthroline) ruthenium salt, di (phenanthroline) cobalt salt, bipyridine platinum salt, terpyridine platinum salt, phenanthroline platinum salt tris (bipyridyl) zinc salt, tris (bipyridyl) ruthenium salt, tris (bipyridyl) cobalt salt di (bipyridyl) zinc salt, di (bipyridyl) ruthenium salt or di (bipyridyl) cobalt salt.

10. The nucleic acid binding polymer of claim 9, wherein said intercalating agent is psoralen.

11. The nucleic acid binding polymer of claim 7, wherein said minor groove binder is Hoechst 33258, CDPI.sub.1-3, netropsin, distamycin A, lexitropsin, mithramycin, chromomycin A.sub.3, olivomycin, anthramycin, sibriomycin, bisquaternary ammonium heterocyclic compound, pentamidine, berenil, phthalanilide, stilbamidine, berenil or DAPI.

12. The nucleic acid binding polymer of claim 2, wherein said bifunctional linker is N-Boc-1,3-diaminopropane, N-Boc-1,4-diaminobutane, N-Boc-1,5-diaminopentane, N-Boc-1,6-diaminohexane, 3-(Boc-amino)-1-propanol, 4-(Boc-amino)-1-butanol, 5-(Boc-amino)-1-pentanol, 6-(Boc-amino)-1-hexanol, Na-Boc-L-lysine, N E-Boc-L-lysine, or Na-Boc-L-serine methyl ester.

13. The nucleic acid binding polymer of claim 2, wherein said bifunctional linker is is linked to nucleic acid binding agent by an amide, ester, thioether, carbamate, urea or amine bond.

14. The nucleic acid binding polymer of claim 1, wherein said backbone polymer comprises pendant OH, NH₂, COOH, or quaternary ammonium groups having at least one H atom.

15. The nucleic acid binding polymer of claim 1, wherein said backbone polymer comprises monomers which include acrylic acid, acrylamide, an acrylate, a glycol, an amino acid, or a substituted styrene.

16. The nucleic acid binding polymer of claim 15, wherein said polymer is a derivatized acrylamide.

17. The nucleic acid binding polymer of claim 2, wherein said bifunctional linker is in about a 1:

1 mole ratio with nucleic acid binding agent.

18. A method for isolating a nucleic acid from a aqueous sample comprising reacting said sample with a nucleic acid binding polymer of claim 1.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said nucleic acid binding polymer comprises a bifunctional linker.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said nucleic acid binding polymer binds to a nucleic acid by hydrogen, electrostatic or cationic binding.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said nucleic acid binding polymer remains soluble after binding to a nucleic acid.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein said backbone polymer is linear polyacrylamide.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said nucleic acid binding agent is an intercalating agent or a minor groove binder.