3-Deaza-3-methyl-adenine has been shown to be a stable analogue of N3-methyladenine (3MeA) which is the major cytotoxic lesion formed in DNA by methylating agents. The phosphoramidite can be used to incorporate this important, stable analogue into synthetic oligonucleotides.⁽¹⁾ We also provide the nucleoside precursor (PRA10013).
3MeA is unstable and is converted to an abasic site which has made rigorous proof of its role in cytotoxicity elusive.The use of 3-deaza-3-methyl-dA in oligonucleotides for replication assays has provided the most direct evidence to date showing that 3MeA is a significant block to two of the main replicases in eukaryotes.⁽²⁾ These studies also showed that the Y-family polymerases are capable of bypassing the modified base in vitro.

Ref:

1. Plosky, B. S.; Frank, E. G.; Berry, D. A.; Vennall, G. P.; McDonald, J. P.; Woodgate, R, Nucleic Acids Res. 2008, 36, 2152-2162.
2. Irani, R. J.; SantaLucia, J., Jr. Nucleosides, Nucleotides, and Nucleic Acids, 2002, 21, 737-751