Oligonucleotide analogues

A method for using an oligomer to isolate, purify, amplify, detect, identify, quantify or capture a natural or synthetic nucleic acid, the oligomer being modified with at least one Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA), the method comprising the step of contacting LNA-modified oligomer with the nucleic acid under conditions sufficient to form a binding complex to isolate, purify, amplify, detect, identify, quantify or capture the nucleic acid, wherein the LNA is represented by the following general formula I:

• wherein X is selected from —O—;
• B is selected from hydrogen, hydroxy, optionally substituted C1-4-alkoxy, optionally substituted C1-4-alkyl, optionally substituted C1-4-acyloxy, nucleobases, DNA intercalators, photochemically active groups, thermochemically active groups, chelating groups, reporter groups, and ligands;
• P designates a radical position for an internucleoside linkage to a succeeding monomer or a 5′-terminal group, optionally including the substituent R5,
• one of the substituents R2, R2*, R3, and R3* is a group P* which designates an internucleoside linkage or a 3′-terminal group;
• the substituents R4* and R2*, together designating the biradical —(CR*R*)r—O—(CR*R*)s—, each R* is independently selected from hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, mercapto, amino, optionally substituted C1-6-alkoxy, optionally substituted C1-6-alkyl, DNA intercalators, photochemically active groups, thermochemically active groups, chelating groups, reporter groups, and ligands, and r is 0 (zero) and s is 1, or r is 1 and s is 0 (zero);
• and
• each of the substituents R1*, R2, R3, R5, and R5*, which are present and not involved in P or P* is independently selected from hydrogen, optionally substituted C1-12-alkyl, optionally substituted C2-12-alkenyl, optionally substituted C2-12-alkynyl, hydroxy, C1-12-alkoxy, C2-12-alkenyloxy, carboxy, C1-12-alkoxycarbonyl, C1-12-alkylcarbonyl, formyl, aryl, aryloxy, carbonyl, aryloxy, arylcarbonyl, heteroaryl, heteroaryloxy-carbonyl, heteroaryloxy, heteroarylcarbonyl, amino, mono- and di(C1-6-alkyl)amino, carbamoyl, mono- and di(C1-6-alkyl)-amino-carbonyl, amino-C1-6-alkyl-aminocarbonyl, mono- and di(C1-6-alkyl)amino-C1-6-alkyl-aminocarbonyl, C1-6-alkyl-carbonylamino, carbamido, C1-6-alkanoyloxy, sulphono, C1-6-alkylsulphonyloxy, nitro, azido, sulphanyl, C1-6-alkylthio, halogen, DNA intercalators, photochemically active groups, thermochemically active groups, chelating groups, reporter groups, and ligands, where aryl and heteroaryl may be optionally substituted,
• and basic salts and acid addition salts thereof, wherein a natural or synthetic nucleic acid is isolated, purified, amplified, detected, identified, quantified, or captured using the oligomer.