[Application of alkylating DNA derivatives for addressed modification of the genome]

To affect definite preselected regions of DNA, complementary denaturated DNA fragments carrying alkylating groups were used. The residues of polyfunctional alkylating agent N',N'N'-tri(beta-chloroethyl)-N'-(p-formylphenyl)propylenediamine-1,3 were attached covalently to 4-5% of bases of the T7 phage DNA (T7 DNA) restriction fragment. The alkylating DNA derivatives was found to be stable under hybridisation conditions. It was shown that the DNA fragment carrying alkylating groups is capable of highly specific interaction with complementary DNA. Thus, the alkylating derivative of the T7 DNA restriction fragment retains its capacity to hybridise with T7 DNA, however, it does not interact with the noncomplementary DNA from chick erythrocytes, it was established that the alkylating derivative of DNA fragment efficiently alkylates only the complementary DNA.