Enantiospecific formation of a metal-mediated base pair inside a DNA duplex

Contiguous Silver(I)-Mediated Base Pairs of Imidazophenanthroline and Canonical Nucleobases in DNA Duplexes: Formation of Classical Duplexes versus Homodimer Formation

Metal-mediated base pairs represent a topical alternative to canonical hydrogen-bonded base pairs. In this context, the ligand 1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (P) was introduced as an artificial nucleobase in a glycol nucleic acid-based nucleoside analogue into a DNA oligonucleotide in a way that the oligonucleotide contains a central block of six contiguous P residues. The ability to engage in Ag+-mediated base pairing was evaluated with respect to the four canonical nucleosides in positions complementary to P. Highly stabilizing Ag+-mediated base pairs were formed with cytosine and guanine (i.e., P-Ag+-C and P-Ag+-G base pairs), whereas the analogous base pairs with thymine and adenine were much less stable and hence formed incompletely. Surprisingly, the intermediate formation of a homodimeric duplex of the P-containing oligonucleotide was observed in all cases, albeit to a different extent. The homodimer is composed of P-Ag+-P base pairs and 18 overhanging mismatched canonical nucleobases. It demonstrates the obstacles present when designing metal-mediated base pairs as metal complexation may take place irrespective of the surrounding natural base pairs. Homodimer formation was found to be particularly prominent when the designated metal-mediated base pairs are of low stability, suggesting that homodimers and regular duplexes are formed in a competing manner.

Phenanthroline-modified DNA three-way junction structures stabilized by interstrand 3 : 1 metal complexation

Incorporation of interstrand metal complexes into DNA is a versatile strategy for metal-dependent stabilization and structural induction of DNA supramolecular structures. In this study, we have synthesized DNA three-way junction (3WJ) structures modified with phenanthroline (phen) ligands. The phen-modified 3WJ was found to be thermally stabilized (ΔTm = +16.9 °C) by the formation of an interstrand NiII(phen)3 complex. Furthermore, NiII-mediated structure induction of 3WJs was demonstrated with the phen-modified strands and their unmodified counterparts. This study suggests that ligand-modified 3WJs would be useful structural motifs for the construction of metal-responsive DNA molecular systems.

Chiral-at-Metal Silver-Mediated Base Pairs: Metal-Centred Chirality versus DNA Helical Chirality

When covalently incorporating ligands capable of forming chiral metal complexes into a DNA oligonucleotide duplex, an enantiospecific formation of metal-mediated base pairs is possible. We have been investigating the chirality of the silver-mediated base pair P-Ag^I -P (P, 1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline) depending on the number of consecutive P : P pairs within a series of duplexes. Towards this end, both enantiomers of the nucleoside analogue 3-(1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthrolin-1-yl)propane-1,2-diol comprising an acyclic backbone were introduced into DNA duplexes, resulting in diastereomeric metal-mediated base pairs. The same chiral-at-metal complex is formed inside the duplex for up to five neighbouring P-Ag^I -P pairs, irrespective of whether (S)-P or (R)-P is used. With six silver-mediated base pairs, the chirality of the metal complex is inverted for (S)-P but not for (R)-P. This indicates an intricate balance of what determines the configuration of the metal complex, the intrinsically preferred metal-centred chirality or the DNA helical chirality.

Towards polymerase-mediated synthesis of artificial RNA–DNA metal base pairs

Polymerase-mediated synthesis of RNA-DNA metal base pairs.

Nucleobase Pair-Metal Dimer/Dinuclear Metal Cation Interaction: A Theoretical Study

Nucleobase pair-metal dimer/dinuclear metal cation interactions play an important role in biological applications because of their highly symmetrical structures and high stabilities. In this work, we have selected five adenine-adenine hydrogen bonding, adenine-thymine (AT), adenine-uracil, adenine-adenine stacking pairs, and Watson-Crick AT stacking pairs and studied their interaction with the coinage metal dimer M2 and M2 2+ metal cations, where M = Ag, Au, and Cu. Quantum chemical calculations have been carried out with density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) methods. Electronic structures were analyzed by the partial density of states method. During interactions, we find that M-M distances are shorter than the sum of van der Waals radii of the corresponding two homocoinage metal atoms, which show the existence of significant metallophilic interactions. Results indicated that nucleobase-M2 2+ complexes are stronger as compared to nucleobase-M2 complexes. Also, the replacement of the hydrogen bond by the dinuclear metal cation-coordinated bond forms more stable alternative metallo-DNA sequences in AAST base pairs. TDDFT calculations reveal that nucleobase-Cu2 complexes and nucleobase-Ag2 2+/Au2 2+ complexes can be used for fluorescent markers and logic gate applications. Atom-in-molecules analysis predicted the noncovalent interaction in these complexes.

Stable Hg(II)-mediated base pairs with a phenanthroline-derived nucleobase surrogate in antiparallel-stranded DNA

Metal-mediated base pairs involving artificial nucleobases have emerged as a promising means for the site-specific functionalization of nucleic acids with metal ions. In this context, a GNA-appended (GNA: glycol nucleic acid) nucleoside analogue containing the artificial nucleobase 1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (P) has already been applied successfully in a variety of homo- and heteroleptic metal-mediated base pairs, mainly involving Ag(I) ions. Herein, we report a thorough investigation of the Hg(II)-binding properties of P when incorporated into antiparallel-stranded DNA duplexes. The artificial nucleobase P is able to form Hg(II)-mediated homoleptic base pairs of the type P-Hg(II)-P with a [2 + 2] coordination environment. In addition, the heteroleptic P-Hg(II)-T pair was investigated. The addition of a stoichiometric amount of Hg(II) to a duplex comprising either a P:P pair or a P:T pair stabilizes the DNA duplex by 4.3 °C and 14.5 °C, respectively. The P-Hg(II)-T base pair, hence, represents the most stabilizing non-organometallic Hg(II)-mediated base pair reported to date. The formation of the Hg(II)-mediated base pairs was investigated by means of temperature-dependent UV spectroscopy and CD spectroscopy.

Light-Induced Formation of Thymine-Containing Mercury(II)-Mediated Base Pairs

By applying caged thymidine residues, DNA duplexes were created in which HgII -mediated base pair formation can be triggered by irradiation with light. When a bidentate ligand was used as the complementary nucleobase, an unprecedented stepwise formation of different metal-mediated base pairs was achieved.

Metal-Modified Nucleic Acids: Metal-Mediated Base Pairs, Triples, and Tetrads

The incorporation of metal ions into nucleic acids by means of metal-mediated base pairs represents a promising and prominent strategy for the site-specific decoration of these self-assembling supramolecules with metal-based functionality. Over the past 20 years, numerous nucleoside surrogates have been introduced in this respect, broadening the metal scope by providing perfectly tailored metal-binding sites. More recently, artificial nucleosides derived from natural purine or pyrimidine bases have moved into the focus of Ag^I -mediated base pairing, due to their expected compatibility with regular Watson-Crick base pairs. This minireview summarizes these advances in metal-mediated base pairing but also includes further recent progress in the field. Moreover, it addresses other aspects of metal-modified nucleic acids, highlighting an expansion of the concept to metal-mediated base triples (in triple helices and three-way junctions) and metal-mediated base tetrads (in quadruplexes). For all types of metal-modified nucleic acids, proposed or accomplished applications are briefly mentioned, too.

Copper(ii)-mediated base pairing involving the artificial nucleobase 3H-imidazo[4,5-f]quinolin-5-ol

A highly stabilizing Cu(ii)-mediated base pair is introduced into DNA using a large artificial nucleobase.

Structure-Property Relationships in CuII -Binding Tetramolecular G-Quadruplex DNA

A series of artificial metal-base tetrads composed of a Cu^II cation coordinating to four pyridines, covalently attached to the ends of tetramolecular G-quadruplex DNA strands [L^A-D d(G₄ )]₄ (L^A-D =ligand derivatives), was systematically studied. Structurally, the square-planar [Cu(pyridine)₄ ] complex behaves analogously to the canonical guanine quartet. Copper coordination to all studied ligand derivatives was found to increase G-quadruplex thermodynamic stability, tolerating a great variety of ligand linker lengths (1-5 atoms) and thus demonstrating the robustness of the chosen ligand design. Only at long linker lengths, the stabilizing effect of copper binding is compensated by the loss of conformational freedom. A previously reported ligand L^E with chiral backbone enables incorporation at any oligonucleotide position. We show that ligand chirality distinctly steers Cu^II -induced G-quadruplex stabilization. 5'-End formation of two metal-base tetrads by tetramolecular G-quadruplex [L^E₂ d(G)₄ ]₄ shows that stabilization in the presence of Cu^II is not additive. All results are based on UV/Vis thermal denaturation, thermal difference, circular dichroism experiments and molecular dynamics simulations.

Metal-Mediated Base Pairs: From Characterization to Application

The investigation of metal-mediated base pairs and the development of their applications represent a prominent area of research at the border of bioinorganic chemistry and supramolecular coordination chemistry. In metal-mediated base pairs, the complementary nucleobases in a nucleic acid duplex are connected by coordinate bonds to an embedded metal ion rather than by hydrogen bonds. Because metal-mediated base pairs facilitate a site-specific introduction of metal-based functionality into nucleic acids, they are ideally suited for use in DNA nanotechnology. This minireview gives an overview of the general requirements that need to be considered when devising a new metal-mediated base pair, both from a conceptual and from an experimental point of view. In addition, it presents selected recent applications of metal-modified nucleic acids to indicate the scope of metal-mediated base pairing.

Metal-mediated DNA assembly with ligand-based nucleosides

Nucleic acids such as DNA are increasingly being applied in nanotechnology, as a result of their capability to self-assemble reversibly. The formal replacement of canonical base pairs by metal-mediated ones enables a site-specific introduction of metal-based functionality into these biomolecules, leading to the formation of predesigned metal arrays. This article offers an overview of structural aspects of metal-mediated base pairs, reviews recent advances in the field of metal-mediated base pairing and presents potential applications of the resulting metal-modified nucleic acids. It particularly focuses on recently developed metal-mediated base pairs with purine-derived nucleosides, gives an overview of metal-responsive systems relying on metal-mediated base pairs and summarizes various applications beyond metal-ion sensors.

A metal-mediated base pair that discriminates between the canonical pyrimidine nucleobases

A nucleoside analogue comprising the ligand 1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (P) was applied to develop a molecular beacon capable of discriminating the canonical nucleobases cytosine and thymine. The beacon is based on the formation of a stable Ag+-mediated base pair between P and cytosine, whereas the presence of Ag+ strongly destabilizes nucleic acids comprising an artificial base pair between P and thymine. Metal-mediated base pair formation was investigated by temperature-dependent UV spectroscopy and CD spectroscopy and complemented by extensive DFT calculations. The molecular beacon significantly extends the application spectrum of nucleic acids with metal-mediated base pairs. It is of potential use in the detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms.