Intra-molecular hydrogen bonding in surface-modified gold electrodes and the effect of specific anions on the electrochemistry of cytochrome c

Selectivity of a thiosemicarbazonatocopper(ii) complex towards duplex RNA. Relevant noncovalent interactions both in solid state and solution

Thiosemicarbazones and their metal derivatives have long been screened as antitumor agents, and their interactions with DNA have been analysed. Herein, we describe the synthesis and characterization of compounds containing [CuL]⁺ entities (HL = pyridine-2-carbaldehyde thiosemicarbazone) and adenine, cytosine or 9-methylguanine, and some of their corresponding nucleotides. For the first time, crystal structures of adenine- and 9-methylguanine-containing thiosemicarbazone complexes are reported. To the best of our knowledge, the first study on the affinity thiosemicarbazone-RNA is also provided here. Experimental and computational studies have shown that [CuL(OH₂)]⁺ entities at low concentration intercalate into dsRNA poly(rA)·poly(rU) through strong hydrogen bonds involving uracil residues and π-π stacking interactions. In fact, noncovalent interactions are present both in the solid state and in solution. This behaviour diverges from that observed with DNA duplexes and creates an optimistic outlook in achieving selective binding to RNA for subsequent possible medical applications.

Interaction of the DNA bases and their mononucleotides with pyridine-2-carbaldehyde thiosemicarbazonecopper(II) complexes. Structure of the cytosine derivative

Experimental studies of the binding interactions of [CuL(NO(3))] and [{CuL'(NO(3))}(2)] (HL=pyridine-2-carbaldehyde thiosemicarbazone, and HL'=pyridine-2-carbaldehyde 4N-methylthiosemicarbazone) with adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine and their mononucleotides (dNMP), 2-deoxyadenosine-5'-monophosphate, (dAMP), 2'-deoxyguanosine-5'-monophosphate, (dGMP), 2'-deoxycytidine-5'-monophosphate (dCMP), and thymidine-5'-monophosphate (dTMP) have been carried out in aqueous solution at pH 6.0, I=0.1M (NaClO(4)) and T=25 degrees C. The complexation constants of these compounds, calculated by Hildebrand-Benesi plots for the dye binding, D, ([CuL] or [CuL']) to the nucleobases or nucleotides (P), have shown two linear stretches in adenine, guanine, dAMP and dGMP. The data were analyzed in terms of formation of 1:1 DP and 1:2 DP(2) complexes with increasing purine base or nucleotide content. For cytosine and dCMP only 1:1 complexes have been observed, whereas for thymine and dTMP such complex structures were not observed. The [CuL(Hcyt)](ClO(4)) cytosine derivative has been isolated and characterized. The crystal structure consists of perchlorate ions and [CuL(Hcyt)](+) monomers attached by hydrogen bond, chelate pi-ring and anion-pi interactions. The Cu(2+) ions bind to the NNS chelating moiety of the thiosemicarbazone ligand and the cytosine N13 site (N3, most common notation) yielding a square-planar geometry. A pseudocoordination to the cytosine O12 site (=O2) can also be considered.