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Suparpprom C, Vilaivan T. Perspectives on conformationally constrained peptide nucleic acid (PNA): insights into the structural design, properties and applications. RSC Chem Biol 2022; 3:648-697. [PMID: 35755191 PMCID: PMC9175113 DOI: 10.1039/d2cb00017b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide nucleic acid or PNA is a synthetic DNA mimic that contains a sequence of nucleobases attached to a peptide-like backbone derived from N-2-aminoethylglycine. The semi-rigid PNA backbone acts as a scaffold that arranges the nucleobases in a proper orientation and spacing so that they can pair with their complementary bases on another DNA, RNA, or even PNA strand perfectly well through the standard Watson-Crick base-pairing. The electrostatically neutral backbone of PNA contributes to its many unique properties that make PNA an outstanding member of the xeno-nucleic acid family. Not only PNA can recognize its complementary nucleic acid strand with high affinity, but it does so with excellent specificity that surpasses the specificity of natural nucleic acids and their analogs. Nevertheless, there is still room for further improvements of the original PNA in terms of stability and specificity of base-pairing, direction of binding, and selectivity for different types of nucleic acids, among others. This review focuses on attempts towards the rational design of new generation PNAs with superior performance by introducing conformational constraints such as a ring or a chiral substituent in the PNA backbone. A large collection of conformationally rigid PNAs developed during the past three decades are analyzed and compared in terms of molecular design and properties in relation to structural data if available. Applications of selected modified PNA in various areas such as targeting of structured nucleic acid targets, supramolecular scaffold, biosensing and bioimaging, and gene regulation will be highlighted to demonstrate how the conformation constraint can improve the performance of the PNA. Challenges and future of the research in the area of constrained PNA will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaturong Suparpprom
- Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Naresuan University, Tah-Poe District, Muang Phitsanulok 65000 Thailand
- Organic Synthesis Research Unit, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University Phayathai Road Pathumwan Bangkok 10330 Thailand
| | - Tirayut Vilaivan
- Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Naresuan University, Tah-Poe District, Muang Phitsanulok 65000 Thailand
- Organic Synthesis Research Unit, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University Phayathai Road Pathumwan Bangkok 10330 Thailand
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Cadoni E, De Paepe L, Manicardi A, Madder A. Beyond small molecules: targeting G-quadruplex structures with oligonucleotides and their analogues. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:6638-6659. [PMID: 33978760 PMCID: PMC8266634 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
G-Quadruplexes (G4s) are widely studied secondary DNA/RNA structures, naturally occurring when G-rich sequences are present. The strategic localization of G4s in genome areas of crucial importance, such as proto-oncogenes and telomeres, entails fundamental implications in terms of gene expression regulation and other important biological processes. Although thousands of small molecules capable to induce G4 stabilization have been reported over the past 20 years, approaches based on the hybridization of a synthetic probe, allowing sequence-specific G4-recognition and targeting are still rather limited. In this review, after introducing important general notions about G4s, we aim to list, explain and critically analyse in more detail the principal approaches available to target G4s by using oligonucleotides and synthetic analogues such as Locked Nucleic Acids (LNAs) and Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNAs), reporting on the most relevant examples described in literature to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Cadoni
- Organic and Biomimetic Chemistry Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lessandro De Paepe
- Organic and Biomimetic Chemistry Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Alex Manicardi
- Organic and Biomimetic Chemistry Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Annemieke Madder
- Organic and Biomimetic Chemistry Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Swenson CS, Heemstra JM. Peptide nucleic acids harness dual information codes in a single molecule. Chem Commun (Camb) 2020; 56:1926-1935. [PMID: 32009137 DOI: 10.1039/c9cc09905k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Nature encodes the information required for life in two fundamental biopolymers: nucleic acids and proteins. Peptide nucleic acid (PNA), a synthetic analog comprised of nucleobases arrayed along a pseudopeptide backbone, has the ability to combine the power of nucleic acids to encode information with the versatility of amino acids to encode structure and function. Historically, PNA has been perceived as a simple nucleic acid mimic having desirable properties such as high biostability and strong affinity for complementary nucleic acids. In this feature article, we aim to adjust this perception by highlighting the ability of PNA to act as a peptide mimic and showing the largely untapped potential to encode information in the amino acid sequence. First, we provide an introduction to PNA and discuss the use of conjugation to impart tunable properties to the biopolymer. Next, we describe the integration of functional groups directly into the PNA backbone to impart specific physical properties. Lastly, we highlight the use of these integrated amino acid side chains to encode peptide-like sequences in the PNA backbone, imparting novel activity and function and demonstrating the ability of PNA to simultaneously mimic both a peptide and a nucleic acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin S Swenson
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
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Galli V, Sadhu KK, Masi D, Saarbach J, Roux A, Winssinger N. Caprin‐1 Promotes Cellular Uptake of Nucleic Acids with Backbone and Sequence Discrimination. Helv Chim Acta 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/hlca.201900255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Galli
- School of Chemistry and BiochemistryFaculty of Science and National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical BiologyUniversity of Geneva CH-1211 Geneva Switzerland
| | - Kalyan K. Sadhu
- School of Chemistry and BiochemistryFaculty of Science and National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical BiologyUniversity of Geneva CH-1211 Geneva Switzerland
| | - Daniela Masi
- School of Chemistry and BiochemistryFaculty of Science and National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical BiologyUniversity of Geneva CH-1211 Geneva Switzerland
| | - Jacques Saarbach
- School of Chemistry and BiochemistryFaculty of Science and National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical BiologyUniversity of Geneva CH-1211 Geneva Switzerland
| | - Aurélien Roux
- School of Chemistry and BiochemistryFaculty of Science and National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical BiologyUniversity of Geneva CH-1211 Geneva Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Winssinger
- School of Chemistry and BiochemistryFaculty of Science and National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical BiologyUniversity of Geneva CH-1211 Geneva Switzerland
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Kerkour A, Marquevielle J, Ivashchenko S, Yatsunyk LA, Mergny JL, Salgado GF. High-resolution three-dimensional NMR structure of the KRAS proto-oncogene promoter reveals key features of a G-quadruplex involved in transcriptional regulation. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:8082-8091. [PMID: 28330874 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.781906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Revised: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-canonical base pairing within guanine-rich DNA and RNA sequences can produce G-quartets, whose stacking leads to the formation of a G-quadruplex (G4). G4s can coexist with canonical duplex DNA in the human genome and have been suggested to suppress gene transcription, and much attention has therefore focused on studying G4s in promotor regions of disease-related genes. For example, the human KRAS proto-oncogene contains a nuclease-hypersensitive element located upstream of the major transcription start site. The KRAS nuclease-hypersensitive element (NHE) region contains a G-rich element (22RT; 5'-AGGGCGGTGTGGGAATAGGGAA-3') and encompasses a Myc-associated zinc finger-binding site that regulates KRAS transcription. The NEH region therefore has been proposed as a target for new drugs that control KRAS transcription, which requires detailed knowledge of the NHE structure. In this study, we report a high-resolution NMR structure of the G-rich element within the KRAS NHE. We found that the G-rich element forms a parallel structure with three G-quartets connected by a four-nucleotide loop and two short one-nucleotide double-chain reversal loops. In addition, a thymine bulge is found between G8 and G9. The loops of different lengths and the presence of a bulge between the G-quartets are structural elements that potentially can be targeted by small chemical ligands that would further stabilize the structure and interfere or block transcriptional regulators such as Myc-associated zinc finger from accessing their binding sites on the KRAS promoter. In conclusion, our work suggests a possible new route for the development of anticancer agents that could suppress KRAS expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdelaziz Kerkour
- From the Université Bordeaux, INSERM, CNRS, ARNA laboratory, European Institute of Chemistry and Biology, U1212, UMR 5320, 2 Rue Robert Escarpit, 33000 Pessac, France and
| | - Julien Marquevielle
- From the Université Bordeaux, INSERM, CNRS, ARNA laboratory, European Institute of Chemistry and Biology, U1212, UMR 5320, 2 Rue Robert Escarpit, 33000 Pessac, France and
| | - Stefaniia Ivashchenko
- From the Université Bordeaux, INSERM, CNRS, ARNA laboratory, European Institute of Chemistry and Biology, U1212, UMR 5320, 2 Rue Robert Escarpit, 33000 Pessac, France and
| | - Liliya A Yatsunyk
- From the Université Bordeaux, INSERM, CNRS, ARNA laboratory, European Institute of Chemistry and Biology, U1212, UMR 5320, 2 Rue Robert Escarpit, 33000 Pessac, France and.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081
| | - Jean-Louis Mergny
- From the Université Bordeaux, INSERM, CNRS, ARNA laboratory, European Institute of Chemistry and Biology, U1212, UMR 5320, 2 Rue Robert Escarpit, 33000 Pessac, France and
| | - Gilmar F Salgado
- From the Université Bordeaux, INSERM, CNRS, ARNA laboratory, European Institute of Chemistry and Biology, U1212, UMR 5320, 2 Rue Robert Escarpit, 33000 Pessac, France and
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Berger O, Gazit E. Molecular self-assembly using peptide nucleic acids. Biopolymers 2017; 108. [PMID: 27486924 DOI: 10.1002/bip.22930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Revised: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are extensively studied for the control of genetic expression since their design in the 1990s. However, the application of PNAs in nanotechnology is much more recent. PNAs share the specific base-pair recognition characteristic of DNA together with material-like properties of polyamides, both proteins and synthetic polymers, such as Kevlar and Nylon. The first application of PNA was in the form of PNA-amphiphiles, resulting in the formation of either lipid integrated structures, hydrogels or fibrillary assemblies. Heteroduplex DNA-PNA assemblies allow the formation of hybrid structures with higher stability as compared with pure DNA. A systematic screen for minimal PNA building blocks resulted in the identification of guanine-containing di-PNA assemblies and protected guanine-PNA monomer spheres showing unique optical properties. Finally, the co-assembly of PNA with thymine-like three-faced cyanuric acid allowed the assembly of poly-adenine PNA into fibers. In summary, we believe that PNAs represent a new and important family of building blocks which converges the advantages of both DNA- and peptide-nanotechnologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Or Berger
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Ehud Gazit
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
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