Efficient conversion of thymine glycol into the formamide lesion in oligonucleotides

Oxidation of (5R,6S)-5,6-dihydro-5,6-dihydroxythymidine (thymidine glycol) with sodium periodate efficiently produced N-(2-deoxy-β-d-erythro-pentofuranosyl)formamide, a hydroxyl radical-induced decomposition product of pyrimidine bases in DNA, and this method was successfully applied to the conversion of thymine glycol in oligonucleotides into the formamide lesion.