Macrocyclic DNA-mismatch-binding ligands: structural determinants of selectivity

Structural Optimization of Azacryptands for Targeting Three-Way DNA Junctions

Transient melting of the duplex-DNA (B-DNA) during DNA transactions allows repeated sequences to fold into non-B-DNA structures, including DNA junctions and G-quadruplexes. These noncanonical structures can act as impediments to DNA polymerase progression along the duplex, thereby triggering DNA damage and ultimately jeopardizing genomic stability. Their stabilization by ad hoc ligands is currently being explored as a putative anticancer strategy since it might represent an efficient way to inflict toxic DNA damage specifically to rapidly dividing cancer cells. The relevance of this strategy is only emerging for three-way DNA junctions (TWJs) and, to date, no molecule has been recognized as a reference TWJ ligand, featuring both high affinity and selectivity. Herein, we characterize such reference ligands through a combination of in vitro techniques comprising affinity and selectivity assays (competitive FRET-melting and TWJ Screen assays), functional tests (qPCR and Taq stop assays) and structural analyses (molecular dynamics and NMR investigations). We identify novel azacryptands TrisNP-amphi and TrisNP-ana as the most promising ligands, interacting with TWJs with high affinity and selectivity. These ligands represent new molecular tools to investigate the cellular roles of TWJs and explore how they can be exploited in innovative anticancer therapies.

Unprecedented reactivity of polyamines with aldehydic DNA modifications: structural determinants of reactivity, characterization and enzymatic stability of adducts

Apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites, 5-formyluracil (fU) and 5-formylcytosine (fC) are abundant DNA modifications that share aldehyde-type reactivity. Here, we demonstrate that polyamines featuring at least one secondary 1,2-diamine fragment in combination with aromatic units form covalent DNA adducts upon reaction with AP sites (with concomitant cleavage of the AP strand), fU and, to a lesser extent, fC residues. Using small-molecule mimics of AP site and fU, we show that reaction of secondary 1,2-diamines with AP sites leads to the formation of unprecedented 3'-tetrahydrofuro[2,3,4-ef]-1,4-diazepane ('ribodiazepane') scaffold, whereas the reaction with fU produces cationic 2,3-dihydro-1,4-diazepinium adducts via uracil ring opening. The reactivity of polyamines towards AP sites versus fU and fC can be tuned by modulating their chemical structure and pH of the reaction medium, enabling up to 20-fold chemoselectivity for AP sites with respect to fU and fC. This reaction is efficient in near-physiological conditions at low-micromolar concentration of polyamines and tolerant to the presence of a large excess of unmodified DNA. Remarkably, 3'-ribodiazepane adducts are chemically stable and resistant to the action of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) and tyrosyl-DNA phosphoesterase 1 (TDP1), two DNA repair enzymes known to cleanse a variety of 3' end-blocking DNA lesions.

NMR determination of the 2:1 binding complex of naphthyridine carbamate dimer (NCD) and CGG/CGG triad in double-stranded DNA

Trinucleotide repeat (TNR) diseases are caused by the aberrant expansion of CXG (X = C, A, G and T) sequences in genomes. We have reported two small molecules binding to TNR, NCD, and NA, which strongly bind to CGG repeat (responsible sequence of fragile X syndrome) and CAG repeat (Huntington's disease). The NMR structure of NA binding to the CAG/CAG triad has been clarified, but the structure of NCD bound to the CGG/CGG triad remained to be addressed. We here report the structural determination of the NCD-CGG/CGG complex by NMR spectroscopy and the comparison with the NA-CAG/CAG complex. While the NCD-CGG/CGG structure shares the binding characteristics with that of the NA-CAG/CAG complex, a significant difference was found in the overall structure caused by the structural fluctuation at the ligand-bound site. The NCD-CGG/CGG complex was suggested in the equilibrium between stacked and kinked structures, although NA-CAG/CAG complex has only the stacked structures. The dynamic fluctuation of the NCD-CGG/CGG structure at the NCD-binding site suggested room for optimization in the linker structure of NCD to gain improved affinity to the CGG/CGG triad.

Identifying G-Quadruplex-DNA-Disrupting Small Molecules

The quest for small molecules that strongly bind to G-quadruplex-DNA (G4), so-called G4 ligands, has invigorated the G4 research field from its very inception. Massive efforts have been invested to discover or rationally design G4 ligands, evaluate their G4-interacting properties in vitro through a series of now widely accepted and routinely implemented assays, and use them as innovative chemical biology tools to interrogate cellular networks that might involve G4s. In sharp contrast, only uncoordinated efforts aimed at developing small molecules that destabilize G4s have been invested to date, even though it is now recognized that such molecular tools would have tremendous application in neurobiology as many genetic and age-related diseases are caused by an overrepresentation of G4s. Herein, we report on our efforts to develop in vitro assays to reliably identify molecules able to destabilize G4s. This workflow comprises the newly designed G4-unfold assay, adapted from the G4-helicase assay implemented with Pif1, as well as a series of biophysical and biochemical techniques classically used to study G4/ligand interactions (CD, UV-vis, PAGE, and FRET-melting), and a qPCR stop assay, adapted from a Taq-based protocol recently used to identify G4s in the genomic DNA of Schizosaccharomyces pombe. This unique, multipronged approach leads to the characterization of a phenylpyrrolocytosine (PhpC)-based G-clamp analog as a prototype of G4-disrupting small molecule whose properties are validated through many different and complementary in vitro evaluations.

Ratiometric Detection of ATP by Fluorescent Cyclophanes with Bellows-Type Sensing Mechanism

Pyrene-based cyclophanes have been synthesized with the aim to realize a bellows-type sensing mechanism for the ratiometric detection of nucleotide concentrations in a buffered aqueous solution. The sensing mechanism involves the encapsulation of a nucleobase between two pyrene rings, which affects the monomer-excimer equilibrium of the receptor in the excited state. The nature of the spacer and its connection pattern to pyrene rings have been varied to achieve high selectivity for ATP. The 1,8-substituted pyrene-based cyclophane with the 2,2'-diaminodiethylamine spacer demonstrates the best selectivity for ATP showing a 50-fold increase in the monomer-excimer emission ratio upon saturation with the nucleotide. The receptor can detect ATP within the biological concentrations range over a wide pH range. NMR and spectroscopic studies have revealed the importance of hydrogen bonding and stacking interactions for achieving a required receptor selectivity. The probe has been successfully applied for the real-time monitoring of creatine kinase activity.

From Interaction to Function in DNA-Templated Supramolecular Self-Assemblies

DNA-templated self-assembly represents a rich and growing subset of supramolecular chemistry where functional self-assemblies are programmed in a versatile manner using nucleic acids as readily-available and readily-tunable templates. In this review, we summarize the different DNA recognition modes and the basic supramolecular interactions at play in this context. We discuss the recent results that report the DNA-templated self-assembly of small molecules into complex yet precise nanoarrays, going from 1D to 3D architectures. Finally, we show their emerging functions as photonic/electronic nanowires, sensors, gene delivery vectors, and supramolecular catalysts, and their growing applications in a wide range of area from materials to biological sciences.

Modelling the binding mode of macrocycles: Docking and conformational sampling

Drug discovery is increasingly tackling challenging protein binding sites regarding molecular recognition and druggability, including shallow and solvent-exposed protein-protein interaction interfaces. Macrocycles are emerging as promising chemotypes to modulate such sites. Despite their chemical complexity, macrocycles comprise important drugs and offer advantages compared to non-cyclic analogs, hence the recent impetus in the medicinal chemistry of macrocycles. Elaboration of macrocycles, or constituent fragments, can strongly benefit from knowledge of their binding mode to a target. When such information from X-ray crystallography is elusive, computational docking can provide working models. However, few studies have explored docking protocols for macrocycles, since conventional docking methods struggle with the conformational complexity of macrocycles, and also potentially with the shallower topology of their binding sites. Indeed, macrocycle binding mode prediction with the mainstream docking software GOLD has hardly been explored. Here, we present an in-depth study of macrocycle docking with GOLD and the ChemPLP scores. First, we summarize the thorough curation of a test set of 41 protein-macrocycle X-ray structures, raising the issue of lattice contacts with such systems. Rigid docking of the known bioactive conformers was successful (three top ranked poses) for 92.7% of the systems, in absence of crystallographic waters. Thus, without conformational search issues, scoring performed well. However, docking success dropped to 29.3% with the GOLD built-in conformational search. Yet, the success rate doubled to 58.5% when GOLD was supplied with extensive conformer ensembles docked rigidly. The reasons for failure, sampling or scoring, were analyzed, exemplified with particular cases. Overall, binding mode prediction of macrocycles remains challenging, but can be much improved with tailored protocols. The analysis of the interplay between conformational sampling and docking will be relevant to the prospective modelling of macrocycles in general.

Monitoring DNA-Ligand Interactions in Living Human Cells Using NMR Spectroscopy

Studies on DNA-ligand interactions in the cellular environment are problematic due to the lack of suitable biophysical tools. To address this need, we developed an in-cell NMR-based approach for monitoring DNA-ligand interactions inside the nuclei of living human cells. Our method relies on the acquisition of NMR data from cells electroporated with preformed DNA-ligand complexes. The impact of the intracellular environment on the integrity of the complexes is assessed based on in-cell NMR signals from unbound and ligand-bound forms of a given DNA target. This technique was tested on complexes of two model DNA fragments and four ligands, namely, a representative DNA minor-groove binder (netropsin) and ligands binding DNA base-pairing defects (naphthalenophanes). In the latter case, we demonstrate that two of the three in vitro-validated ligands retain their ability to form stable interactions with their model target DNA in cellulo, whereas the third one loses this ability due to off-target interactions with genomic DNA and cellular metabolites. Collectively, our data suggest that direct evaluation of the behavior of drug-like molecules in the intracellular environment provides important insights into the development of DNA-binding ligands with desirable biological activity and minimal side effects resulting from off-target binding.

TWJ-Screen: an isothermal screening assay to assess ligand/DNA junction interactions in vitro

The quest for chemicals able to operate at selected genomic loci in a spatiotemporally controlled manner is desirable to create manageable DNA damages. Mounting evidence now shows that alternative DNA structures, including G-quadruplexes and branched DNA (or DNA junctions), might hamper proper progression of replication fork, thus triggering DNA damages and genomic instability. Therefore, small molecules that stabilize these DNA structures are currently scrutinized as a promising way to create genomic defects that cannot be dealt with properly by cancer cells. While much emphasis has been recently given to G-quadruplexes and related ligands, we report herein on three-way DNA junctions (TWJ) and related ligands. We first highlight the biological implications of TWJ and their strategic relevance as triggers for replicative stress. Then, we describe a new in vitro high-throughput screening assay, TWJ-Screen, which allows for identifying TWJ ligands with both high affinity and selectivity for TWJ over other DNA structures (duplexes and quadruplexes), in a convenient and unbiased manner as demonstrated by the screening of a library of 25 compounds from different chemical families. TWJ-Screen thus represents a reliable mean to uncover molecular tools able to foster replicative stress through an innovative approach, thus providing new strategic opportunities to combat cancers.

Anthracene-Based Cyclophanes with Selective Fluorescent Responses for TTP and GTP: Insights into Recognition and Sensing Mechanisms

Three anthracene-based cyclophanes were synthesized and their binding properties towards nucleoside triphosphates were studied. A new polycyclic amine derived from dearomatized anthracene was identified as a major side product in the cyclization reaction between 9,10-anthracenedicarboxaldehyde and diethylenetriamine. Its structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The cyclophanes were found to form 1:1 complexes with all nucleoside triphosphates as well as with pyrophosphate in a buffered aqueous solution at pH 6.2. A turn-on fluorescence response was observed for all nucleotides except for GTP, which demonstrated strong fluorescence quenching. The strongest turn-on fluorescence was observed for the largest receptor 3 in the presence of thymidine triphosphate (TTP). Based on the NMR and fluorescence experiments, two major binding modes for nucleotide complexes were identified.

Preparation and Physicochemical Properties of [6]Helicenes Fluorinated at Terminal Rings

The first racemization-stable helicene derivatives fluorinated at terminal rings, 1,2,3,4-tetrafluoro[6]helicene (6) and 1,2,3,4,13,14,15,16-octafluoro[6]helicene (15), were synthesized via the Wittig reaction followed by oxidative photocyclization in an overall yield of 41% of 6 and 76% of 15. The changed electronic structure in fluorinated helicenes was reflected in a slight shift of UV-vis absorption, fluorescence excitation, and emission spectra maxima when compared to unsubstituted [6]helicene. Cyclic voltammetry revealed a moderate decrease in the HOMO-LUMO gap with increasing fluorination. The specific rotation of tetrafluoro[6]helicene 6 enantiomers was found to be approximately 25% lower than that of unsubstituted [6]helicene. The theoretical study of the racemization barrier suggested a reasonable shift toward higher energy with increasing fluorination. The increasing fluorination also significantly affected the intermolecular interactions in the crystal lattice. The observed CH···F interactions led to the formation of 1D-molecular chains in the crystal structures of both fluorinated helicenes.

Probing of G-Quadruplex Structures via Ligand-Sensitized Photochemical Reactions in BrU-Substituted DNA

We studied photochemical reactions of ^BrU-substituted G-quadruplex (G4) DNA substrates with two pyrene-substituted polyazamacrocyclic ligands, M-1PY and M-2PY. Both ligands bind to and stabilize G4-DNA structures without altering their folding topology, as demonstrated by FRET-melting experiments, fluorimetric titrations and CD spectroscopy. Notably, the bis-pyrene derivative (M-2PY) behaves as a significantly more affine and selective G4 ligand, compared with its mono-pyrene counterpart (M-1PY) and control compounds. Upon short UVA irradiation (365 nm) both ligands, in particular M-2PY, efficiently sensitize photoreactions at ^BrU residues incorporated in G4 structures and give rise to two kinds of photoproducts, namely DNA strand cleavage and covalent ligand-DNA photoadducts. Remarkably, the photoinduced strand cleavage is observed exclusively with G4 structures presenting ^BrU residues in lateral or diagonal loops, but not with parallel G4-DNA structures presenting only propeller loops. In contrast, the formation of fluorescent photoadducts is observed with all ^BrU-substituted G4-DNA substrates, with M-2PY giving significantly higher yields (up to 27%) than M-1PY. Both ligand-sensitized photoreactions are specific to ^BrU-modified G4-DNA structures with respect to double-stranded or stem-loop substrates. Thus, ligand-sensitized photoreactions with ^BrU-substituted G4-DNA may be exploited (i) as a photochemical probe, allowing "photofootprinting" of G4 folding topologies in vitro and (ii) for covalent trapping of G4 structures as photoadducts with pyrene-substituted ligands.

Improved Access to 1,8-Diformyl-carbazoles Leads to Metal-Free Carbazole-Based [2 + 2] Schiff Base Macrocycles with Strong Turn-On Fluorescence Sensing of Zinc(II) Ions

Development of a new and high yielding synthetic route to 1,8-diformyl-carbazoles 3 (3a 3,6-di- tert-butyl substituted; 3b 3,6-unsubstituted) is reported. Use of a Heck coupling reaction, followed by ozonolysis, has greatly facilitated the preparation of these interesting head units in useful quantities. An initial foray into the new generations of Schiff base macrocycles that ready access to these head units (3) opens up, has led to the direct (i.e., metal-free) synthesis of two [2 + 2] macrocycles from 3a or 3b with 1,2-diaminoethane, H₂L^tBu (4a) and H₂L^H (4b), respectively, obtained as yellow powders in high yields (87-88%). The dizinc complex [Zn₂L^H(OAc)₂] (5b) was isolated as a bright yellow solid in 83% yield, by 1:2:2 reaction of H₂L^H with zinc(II) acetate and triethylamine. Aldehydes 3a and 3b, macrocycle H₂L^H, and complex [Zn₂L^H(OAc)₂] (5b) have been structurally characterized. The carbazole NH makes bifurcated hydrogen bonds with the pair of flanking 1,8-diformyl-moieties in 3, or 1,8-diimine-moieties in H₂L^H, leading to a flat, all- cis conformation. The stepped conformation of the metal-free macrocycle H₂L^H is retained in [Zn₂L^H(OAc)₂], despite deprotonation and binding of two zinc(II) centers within the two tridentate pockets. The N₃O₂ coordination of the zinc ions is completed by one μ_1,1- and one μ_1,3- bridging acetate anion. Excitation of nanomolar [Zn₂L^H(OAc)₂] in DMF at 335 nm results in clearly visible blue fluorescence (λ_max = 460 nm). Further studies on the H₂L^H macrocycle revealed turn-on fluorescence, with selectivity (over Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and a range of 3d dications) and nanomolar sensitivity for zinc(II) ions, highlighting one of the many potential applications for these new carbazole-based Schiff base macrocycles.

Air-oxidation from sulfur to sulfone-bridged Schiff-base macrocyclic complexes showing enhanced antimicrobial activities

Two embedded sulfur atoms in a novel [2 + 2] Schiff-base macrocyclic dinuclear Zn(II) complex were found to be easily autoxidized to the sulfone units on air exposure, and the resultant sulfone-functionalized macrocyclic complex was obtained by the post-modification strategy exhibiting enhanced antimicrobial activities because of the presence of dual active sites in comparison with the sulfur-containing Schiff-base macrocycle.

Copper(II)-Controlled Molecular Glue for Mismatched DNA

Isothermal hybridization of two DNA strands bearing three thymine-thymine (T:T) mismatches can be brought about in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of a bis-naphthalene macrocycle, 2,7-BisNP-NH. This process can be reverted by addition of a Cu^II salt due to formation of a dinuclear metal complex which does not bind to DNA. Subsequent sequestration of Cu^II releases the macrocycle and restores the hybridization state of DNA strands, thus allowing implementation of a fast fluorescent two-state DNA switch.

Nature-inspired design of tetraindoles: Optimization of the core structure and evaluation of structure-activity relationship

Building on the initial successful optimization of a novel series of tetraindoles, a second generation of the compounds with changes in the core phenyl ring was synthesized to improve anticancer properties. 17 new compounds with different rigidity, planarity, symmetry and degree of conjugation of their core structures to 5-hydroxyindole units were synthesized. All the compounds were fully characterized and tested against breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231). The results revealed that the core structure is required for activity and it should be aromatic, rigid, planar, symmetrical and conjugated for optimal activity. Compound 29, which has strong anticancer activity against various tumor-derived cell lines, including Mahlavu (hepatocellular), SK-HEP-1 (hepatic), HCT116 (colon), MIA PaCa-2 (pancreatic), H441 (lung papillary), A549 (lung), H460 (non-small cell lung) and CL1-5 (lung carcinoma) with IC50 values ranging from 0.19 to 3.50μM, was generated after series of successive optimizations. It was found to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in vitro and inhibit tumor growth in the non-obese diabetic-severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) mice bearing xenografted MIA PaCa-2 human pancreatic cancer.

Cyclic mismatch binding ligand CMBL4 binds to the 5'-T-3'/5'-GG-3' site by inducing the flipping out of thymine base

A newly designed cyclic bis-naphthyridine carbamate dimer CMBL4: with a limited conformational flexibility was synthesized and characterized. Absorption spectra revealed that two naphthyridines in CMBL4: were stacked on each other in aqueous solutions. The most efficient binding of CMBL4: to DNA was observed for the sequence 5'-T-3'/5'-GG-3' (T/GG) with the formation of a 1:1 complex, which is one of possible structural elements involved in the higher order structures of (TGG)n repeat DNA triggering the genome microdeletion. Surface plasmon resonance assay also showed the binding of CMBL4: with TGG repeat DNA. Potassium permanganate oxidation studies of CMBL4: -bound duplex containing the T/GG site showed that the CMBL4: -binding accelerated the oxidation of thymine at that site, which suggests the flipping out of the thymine base from a π-stack. Preferential binding was observed for CMBL4: compared with its acyclic variants, which suggests the marked significance of the macrocyclic structure for the recognition of the T/GG site.

Comparative study of affinity and selectivity of ligands targeting abasic and mismatch sites in DNA using a fluorescence-melting assay

Recently, several families of small-molecule ligands have been developed to selectively target DNA pairing defects, such as abasic sites and mismatched base pairs, with the aim to interfere with the DNA repair and the template function of the DNA. However, the affinity and selectivity (with respect to well-matched DNA) of these ligands has barely been evaluated in a systematic way. Herein, we report a comparative study of binding affinity and selectivity of a representative panel of 16 ligands targeting abasic sites and a T-T mismatch in DNA, using a fluorescence-monitored melting assay. We demonstrate that bisintercalator-type macrocyclic ligands are characterized by moderate affinity but exceptionally high selectivity with respect to well-matched DNA, whereas other reported ligands show either modest selectivity or rather low affinity in identical conditions.

Dynamic Docking of Conformationally Constrained Macrocycles: Methods and Applications

Many natural products consist of large and flexible macrocycles that engage their targets via multiple contact points. This combination of contained flexibility and large contact area often allows natural products to bind at target surfaces rather than deep pockets, making them attractive scaffolds for inhibiting protein-protein interactions and other challenging therapeutic targets. The increasing ability to manipulate such compounds either biosynthetically or via semisynthetic modification means that these compounds can now be considered as starting points for medchem campaigns rather than solely as ends. Modern medchem benefits substantially from rational improvements made on the basis of molecular docking. As such, docking methods have been enhanced in recent years to deal with the complicated binding modalities and flexible scaffolds of macrocyclic natural products and natural product-like structures. Here, we comprehensively review methods for treating and docking these large macrocyclic scaffolds and discuss some of the resulting advances in medicinal chemistry.

A dynamic combinatorial approach for identifying side groups that stabilize DNA-templated supramolecular self-assemblies

DNA-templated self-assembly is an emerging strategy for generating functional supramolecular systems, which requires the identification of potent multi-point binding ligands. In this line, we recently showed that bis-functionalized guanidinium compounds can interact with ssDNA and generate a supramolecular complex through the recognition of the phosphodiester backbone of DNA. In order to probe the importance of secondary interactions and to identify side groups that stabilize these DNA-templated self-assemblies, we report herein the implementation of a dynamic combinatorial approach. We used an in situ fragment assembly process based on reductive amination and tested various side groups, including amino acids. The results reveal that aromatic and cationic side groups participate in secondary supramolecular interactions that stabilize the complexes formed with ssDNA.

Cationic azacryptands as selective three-way DNA junction binding agents

Azacryptands are promising candidates for assessing the therapeutic potential of three-way DNA junctions.

Efficient inhibition of human AP endonuclease 1 (APE1) via substrate masking by abasic site-binding macrocyclic ligands

Bis-naphthalene macrocycles bind to abasic sites in DNA, leading to efficient inhibition of their cleavage by human AP endonuclease 1 (APE1).

Shape matters: size-exclusion HPLC for the study of nucleic acid structural polymorphism

In recent years, an increasing number of reports have been focused on the structure and biological role of non-canonical nucleic acid secondary structures. Many of these studies involve the use of oligonucleotides that can often adopt a variety of structures depending on the experimental conditions, and hence change the outcome of an assay. The knowledge of the structure(s) formed by oligonucleotides is thus critical to correctly interpret the results, and gain insight into the biological role of these particular sequences. Herein we demonstrate that size-exclusion HPLC (SE-HPLC) is a simple yet surprisingly powerful tool to quickly and effortlessly assess the secondary structure(s) formed by oligonucleotides. For the first time, an extensive calibration and validation of the use of SE-HPLC to confidently detect the presence of different species displaying various structure and/or molecularity, involving >110 oligonucleotides forming a variety of secondary structures (antiparallel, parallel, A-tract bent and mismatched duplexes, triplexes, G-quadruplexes and i-motifs, RNA stem loops), is performed. Moreover, we introduce simple metrics that allow the use of SE-HPLC without the need for a tedious calibration work. We show that the remarkable versatility of the method allows to quickly establish the influence of a number of experimental parameters on nucleic acid structuration and to operate on a wide range of oligonucleotide concentrations. Case studies are provided to clearly illustrate the all-terrain capabilities of SE-HPLC for oligonucleotide secondary structure analysis. Finally, this manuscript features a number of important observations contributing to a better understanding of nucleic acid structural polymorphism.

Cationic perylenediimide as a specific fluorescent binder to mismatch containing DNA

Small ligand molecules, which can recognize thermodynamically unstable site within DNA, such as mismatch base pair, abasic site, and single-bulge, have attracted much attention because of their potential diagnostics and biological applications. In this paper, we describe the binding of cationic perylenediimide (cPDI) molecules to thymine-containing mismatch base pair in DNA and the formation of cPDI dimer at the mismatch site. The cPDI dimer exhibits a characteristic excimer emission at 650nm. For T/T mismatch containing DNA, the switching behavior from the PDI dimer (650nm) to the monomer (550nm) emission in specific response to Hg(2+) ion was observed.

Differential targeting of unpaired bases within duplex DNA by the natural compound clerocidin: a valuable tool to dissect DNA secondary structure

Non-canonical DNA structures have been postulated to mediate protein-nucleic acid interactions and to function as intermediates in the generation of frame-shift mutations when errors in DNA replication occur, which result in a variety of diseases and cancers. Compounds capable of binding to non-canonical DNA conformations may thus have significant diagnostic and therapeutic potential. Clerocidin is a natural diterpenoid which has been shown to selectively react with single-stranded bases without targeting the double helix. Here we performed a comprehensive analysis on several non-canonical DNA secondary structures, namely mismatches, nicks, bulges, hairpins, with sequence variations in both the single-stranded region and the double-stranded flanking segment. By analysis of clerocidin reactivity, we were able to identify the exposed reactive residues which provided information on both the secondary structure and the accessibility of the non-paired sites. Mismatches longer than 1 base were necessary to be reached by clerocidin reactive groups, while 1-base nicks were promptly targeted by clerocidin; in hairpins, clerocidin reactivity increased with the length of the hairpin loop, while, interestingly, reactivity towards bulges reached a maximum in 3-base-long bulges and declined in longer bulges. Electrophoretic mobility shift analysis demonstrated that bulges longer than 3 bases (i.e. 5- and 7-bases) folded or stacked on the duplex region therefore being less accessible by the compound. Clerocidin thus represents a new valuable diagnostic tool to dissect DNA secondary structures.

Modulation of DNA binding by reversible metal-controlled molecular reorganizations of scorpiand-like ligands

DNA interaction with scorpiand azamacrocycles has been achieved through modulation of their binding affinities. Studies performed with different experimental techniques provided evidence that pH or metal-driven molecular reorganizations of these ligands regulate their ability to interact with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) through an intercalative mode. Interestingly enough, metal-driven molecular reorganizations serve to increase or decrease the biological activities of these compounds significantly.

Double threading through DNA: NMR structural study of a bis-naphthalene macrocycle bound to a thymine-thymine mismatch

The macrocyclic bis-naphthalene macrocycle (2,7-BisNP), belonging to the cyclobisintercalator family of DNA ligands, recognizes T–T mismatch sites in duplex DNA with high affinity and selectivity, as evidenced by thermal denaturation experiments and NMR titrations. The binding of this macrocycle to an 11-mer DNA oligonucleotide containing a T–T mismatch was studied using NMR spectroscopy and NMR-restrained molecular modeling. The ligand forms a single type of complex with the DNA, in which one of the naphthalene rings of the ligand occupies the place of one of the mismatched thymines, which is flipped out of the duplex. The second naphthalene unit of the ligand intercalates at the A-T base pair flanking the mismatch site, leading to encapsulation of its thymine residue via double stacking. The polyammonium linking chains of the macrocycle are located in the minor and the major grooves of the oligonucleotide and participate in the stabilization of the complex by formation of hydrogen bonds with the encapsulated thymine base and the mismatched thymine remaining inside the helix. The study highlights the uniqueness of this cyclobisintercalation binding mode and its importance for recognition of DNA lesion sites by small molecules.

Fluorescent acridine-based receptors for H2PO4(-)

Two new pseudopeptidic molecules (one macrocyclic and one open chain) containing an acridine unit have been prepared. The fluorescence response of these receptors to a series of acids was measured in CHCl(3). Receptors are selective to H(2)PO(4)(-) versus HSO(4)(-), and an even higher selectivity is found over other anions such as Cl(-), Br(-), CH(3)COO(-), and CF(3)COO(-). We show that the macrocyclic receptor is more selective for H(2)PO(4)(-) than the related open chain receptor. The supramolecular interactions of triprotonated receptors with different anions have been modeled in silico and have been studied by different experimental techniques. Optimized geometries obtained by computational calculations agree well with experimental data, in particular fluorescence experiments, suggesting that the selective supramolecular interaction takes places through coordination of the anions to the triprotonated form of the receptor.

"One ring to bind them all"-part I: the efficiency of the macrocyclic scaffold for g-quadruplex DNA recognition

Macrocyclic scaffolds are particularly attractive for designing selective G-quadruplex ligands essentially because, on one hand, they show a poor affinity for the “standard” B-DNA conformation and, on the other hand, they fit nicely with the external G-quartets of quadruplexes. Stimulated by the pioneering studies on the cationic porphyrin TMPyP4 and the natural product telomestatin, follow-up studies have developed, rapidly leading to a large diversity of macrocyclic structures with remarkable-quadruplex binding properties and biological activities. In this review we summarize the current state of the art in detailing the three main categories of quadruplex-binding macrocycles described so far (telomestatin-like polyheteroarenes, porphyrins and derivatives, polyammonium cyclophanes), and in addressing both synthetic issues and biological aspects.

"One Ring to Bind Them All"-Part II: Identification of Promising G-Quadruplex Ligands by Screening of Cyclophane-Type Macrocycles

A collection of 26 polyammonium cyclophane-type macrocycles with a large structural diversity has been screened for G-quadruplex recognition. A two-step selection procedure based on the FRET-melting assay was carried out enabling identification of macrocycles of high affinity (ΔT_1/2 up to 30°C) and high selectivity for the human telomeric G-quadruplex. The four selected hits possess sophisticated architectures, more particularly the presence of a pendant side-arm as well as the existence of a particular topological arrangement appear to be strong determinants of quadruplex binding. These compounds are thus likely to create multiple contacts with the target that may be at the origin of their high selectivity, thereby suggesting that this class of macrocycles offers unique advantages for targeting G-quadruplex-DNA.