oligonucleotide genetics Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/science/oligonucleotide Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/science/oligonucleotide Also known as: oligo, oligomer Written by Kara Rogers Kara Rogers is the senior editor of biomedical sciences at Encyclopædia Britannica, where she oversees a range of content from medicine and genetics to microorganisms. She joined Britannica in 2006 and... Kara Rogers Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Jul 19, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Also called: oligomer (Show more) Or: oligo (Show more) oligonucleotide, a short chain of nucleotides (nitrogen-containing units linked to a sugar and a phosphate group) that consist of either single- or double-stranded DNA or RNA. Oligonucleotides originally were used almost exclusively in laboratory research, being synthesized and used generally as molecular probes to detect complementary DNA or RNA sequences. Today they are especially important in the realm of drug development, owing to their ability to influence gene expression once bound to a target sequence; often such agents are antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), single- or double-stranded sequences designed to selectively bind to and alter the function of target messenger RNA (mRNA) ...(100 of 660 words)

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