High-performance liquid chromatographic separation of detritylated oligonucleotides on highly cross-linked...

Detritylated oligonucleotides were separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on highly cross-linked polystyrene-based particles having a mean particle diameter of 2.3 microns. The addition of poly(vinyl alcohol) during polymerization, which resulted in the presence of hydroxyl groups on the surface of the poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) beads, was necessary to obtain baseline resolution of phosphorylated oligodeoxyadenylic acids with a chain length of up to 30 bases. The impact of temperature was investigated and optimum resolution was achieved at 40 degrees C. At pH 7.0, the retention times of oligonucleotides were found to depend on the ratio of bases and to increase in the order of C less than G less than A less than T. Under the same conditions, it was possible to separate phosphorylated from dephosphorylated oligonucleotides, the former being eluted earlier. Recoveries ranged from 92 to 100%.