Cleavage of an RNA Model Compound by an Arylmercury Complex

A water‐soluble arylmercury complex has been synthesized, and its ability to catalyze the cleavage of the phosphodiester linkage of the RNA model compound adenylyl‐3′,5′‐(2′,3′‐O‐methyleneadenosine) has been assessed over a pH range of 3–8.5 and a catalyst concentration range of 0–7 mM. In the presence of 1 mM catalyst, the observed pH–rate profile featured a new pH‐independent region between pH 6 and 7, the catalyzed reaction being as much as eight times faster than the background reaction. At pH 7, the acceleration increased linearly from three‐ to 17‐fold upon increasing the catalyst concentration from 1 to 7 mM. The linear dependence indicates a relatively low affinity of the catalyst for the substrate and, hence, the potential for considerable improvement on tethering to an appropriate targeting group, such as an oligonucleotide.