Chromatin as a target for the DNA-binding anticancer drugs

Phenalenyl based platinum anticancer compounds with superior efficacy: design, synthesis, characterization, and interaction with nuclear DNA

New and efficacious phenalenyl based Pt(ii) compounds have been used to design an “easy to use tool” for mechanistic understanding.

Synthesis, characterisation, in vitro DNA binding properties and antioxidant activities of Ln(III) complexes with chromone-3-carbaldehyde-(2′-hydroxy) benzoyl hydrazone

Ln(III) complexes with chromone-3-carbaldehyde-(2′-hydroxy)benzoyl hydrazone as the Schiff base ligand have been synthesised and characterised by elemental analysis, molar conductivity, 1H NMR, mass spectra, UV–Vis spectra, and IR spectra. Electronic absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra, ethidium bromide displacement experiments and viscosity measurements indicate that the free ligand and its Ln(III) complexes, especially the La(III) complex, bind strongly to calf thymus DNA via an intercalation mechanism. The intrinsic binding constants of the free ligand, La(III) complex, Sm(III) complex and Er(III) complex with DNA were (2.20±0.12) x 105 M−1, (8.83±0.04) x 106 M−1, (7.35±0.07) x 106 M−1 and (3.24±0.04) x 106 M−1, respectively. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of the ligand and its Ln(III) complexes was determined by the superoxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging method in vitro, which indicates that the ligand and its Ln(III) complexes are efficient antioxidants and the Ln(III) complexes exhibit more effective antioxidant activity than the free ligand alone and some standard antioxidants, such as mannitol and vitamin C.

A revisit of the mode of interaction of small transcription inhibitors with genomic DNA

One class of small molecules with therapeutic potential for treatment of cancer functions as transcription inhibitors via interaction with double-stranded DNA. Majority of the studies of the interaction with DNA have so far been reported under conditions nonexistent in vivo. Inside the cell, DNA is present in the nucleus as a complex with proteins known as chromatin. For the last few years we have been studying the interaction of these DNA-binding small molecules at the chromatin level with emphasis on the drug-induced structural alterations in chromatin. Our studies have shown that at the chromatin level these molecules could be classified in two broad categories: single-binding and dual-binding molecules. Single-binding molecules access only DNA in the chromatin, while the dual-binding molecules could bind to both DNA and the associated histone(s). Structural effects of the DNA-binding molecules upon chromatin in light of the above broad categories and the associated biological implications of the two types of binding are discussed.