A 7-deazaadenosine ( = tubercidin; c'A; 1) building block for solid-phase oligoribonucleotide synthesis was prepared. The amino group of 1 was protected with the (dimethy1amino)methylidene residue (+ 3), and the monomethoxytrityl group was introduced at OH-C(5') (+4). Protection of OH-C(2') was carried out by silylation, showing that use ofthe (i-Pr)$i group resulted in high 2'-0-selectivity (+ 5b, 80%). Reaction of5b with PC1, afforded the phosphonate 7 which was used in solid-phase oligoribonucleotide synthesis. The autocatalytic hydrolysis of hammerhead ribozymes using pG-