Binding properties of oligonucleotides containing a modified 2′-deoxyuridine with a thymine ended linker to pair with 2′-deoxyadenosine

Oligonucleotides containing in the place of thymidine the nucleoside 2, a 2′-deoxyuridine harbouring at C-5 a thymine ended linker, were found to undergo base pairing with the opposite 2′-deoxyadenosine. However, the corresponding duplexes are significantly destabilised as compared to the fully natural ones.