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DNAPac PA200
Document No. 065036
Page 12 of 25
5.4 Gradient slope
Phosphodiester oligonucleotides generally exhibit good peak shape when the gradient slope is ~15 mM/mL (NaCl)
or ~5 mM/mL (NaClO
4
). Higher values will generally result in shorter run times, but result in poorer resolution.
Conversely lower values may produce improved resolution, but also require longer run times.
5.5 Effect of pH and Solvent on Oligonucleotide Chromatography
Use of elevated pH offers two advantages over chromatography at neutral pH. First, elevated pH allows control of
hydrogen bonding interactions. At pH 11 and above, (pH 12.4 is the recommended upper limit for the DNAPac
columns), Watson-Crick and poly-G hydrogen bonds break. Hence, at high pH chromatographic analysis of
oligonucleotides with self-complementary sequences results in sharp, well-resolved peaks. Second, for each
Thymine (T) and Guanine (G) residue, an increase in oligonucleotide charge is generated with rising pH values due
to ionization of the tautomeric oxygen on these bases. Between pH 9 and 11, oxyanion formation on these bases
increases retention of oligonucleotides in proportion to the number of T and G residues on the molecule. This offers
opportunity to control of oligonucleotide selectivity with eluent pH.
5.5.1 Effect of pH on Hydrogen Bond Interactions
In the chart below, the chromatography of a PdG
12-18
sample at 25°C and pH 8 (bottom trace) reveals the
absence of identifiable peaks. Under these conditions, poly-G tracts form tetrad ladders with 8 hydrogen bonds
between each set of bases. Chromatography at 85°C (pH 8, middle trace) dramatically increases the detector
noise compared to pH8 and 25°C, but still no identifiable peaks are eluted. However, at 25°C and pH 12 each
of the sample components are clearly eluted, and completely resolved from all the other components.
CHART 3 Controlling H-bond interactions in poly-G Tracts:
Comparison of High pH and High Temperature
0
8
16
24
0.0
40.0
d(G)
12-18
25 °C, pH8
d(G)
12-18
A 85 °C, pH8
d(G)
12-18
25 °C, pH12
mA
26
0
Time (min)
3
2
1
Flow: 1.20 ml/min
0.33M NaClO
4
:
33.4 %
66.7
75.0
36.4
0
8
16
24
0.0
40.0
d(G)
12-18
25 °C, pH8
d(G)
12-18
A 85 °C, pH8
d(G)
12-18
25 °C, pH12
mA
26
0
Time (min)
3
2
1
Flow: 1.20 ml/min
0.33M NaClO
4
:
33.4 %
66.7
75.0
36.4