Fluorometric study of fluoxetine DNA binding

Multi-spectroscopic, thermodynamic and molecular simulation studies on binding of pyrroloquinoline quinone with DNA: coexistence of intercalation and groove binding modes

The interaction between enzyme-like pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) and calf-thymus DNA (CT-DNA) has been investigated by means of multi-spectroscopic (UV-Vis, fluorescence and circular dichroism), isothermal titration calorimetric (ITC), viscometry and molecular docking and metadynamics simulation techniques. Absorption spectral data suggested the formation of a PQQ/CT-DNA complex, which quenched the fluorescence of PQQ via the dynamic quenching process. The results of CD spectral studies coupled with viscosity measurements, competitive binding assays with Hoechst 33258 and ethidium bromide (EB), KI quenching experiments, gel electrophoresis and DNA melting studies indicated groove binding mode of interaction of PQQ with CT-DNA. ITC experiment revealed that the complex formation is a spontaneous process (ΔGo < 0) with a binding constant of 1.05 × 104 M-1. The observed ΔHo < 0 and ΔSo < 0 pointed out that the complex is stabilized by van der Waals forces along with H-bonding interactions. The outcomes of molecular docking and simulation studies confirmed the binding of PQQ with DNA. The free energy surface (FES) analysis pointed out the existence of an equilibrium between partial intercalation and groove binding modes, which is in good agreement with the competitive binding assays.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Molecular Dynamics and Multi-Spectroscopic of the Interaction Behavior between Bladder Cancer Cells and Calf Thymus DNA with Rebeccamycin: Apoptosis through the Down Regulation of PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway

The interaction of Rebeccamycin with calf thymus (ctDNA) in the absence and presence of H1 was investigated by molecular dynamics, multi-spectroscopic, and cellular techniques. According to fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopies, Rebeccamycin interacted with ctDNA in the absence of H1 through intercalator or binding modes, while the presence of H1 resulted in revealing theintercalator, as the dominant role, and groove binding modes of ctDNA-Rebeccamycin complex. The binding constants, which were calculated to be 1.22 × 104 M-1 and 7.92 × 105 M-1 in the absence and presence of H1, respectively, denoted the strong binding of Rebeccamycin with ctDNA. The binding constants of Rebeccamycin with ct DNA in the absence and presence of H1 were calculated at 298, 303 and 308 K. Considering the thermodynamic parameters (ΔH0 and ΔS0), both vander waals forces and hydrogen bonds played predominant roles throughout the binding of Rebeccamycin to ctDNA in the absence and presence of H1. The outcomes of circular dichroism suggested the lack of any major conformational changes in ctDNA upon interacting with Rebeccamycin, except some perturbations in native B-DNA at local level. Additionally, the effect of NaCl and KI on ctDNA-Rebeccamycin complex provided further evidence for the reliance of their interaction modes on substituted groups. The observed increase in the relative viscosity of ctDNA caused by the enhancement of Rebeccamycin confirmed their intercalation and groove binding modes in the absence and presence of H1. Moreover, the assessments of molecular docking simulation corroborated these experimental results and also elucidated the effectiveness of Rebeccamycinin inhibiting and proliferating T24 and 5637 cells. Meanwhile, the ability of Rebeccamycin in inhibiting cell proliferation and tumor growth through the induction of apoptosis by down regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway were provided.

A novel Cu(II)-based DNA-intercalating agent: Structural and biological insights using biophysical and in silico techniques

A new mixed-ligand Cu(II) complex formulated as [Cu(dipic)(amp)(H₂O)].H₂O (dipic: pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid, amp: 2-amino-4-methylpyridine), was synthesized and structurally characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, CHN analysis, and the single-crystal X-ray crystallographic method. The complex crystallizes in an orthorhombic space group Pna2_1, and the coordination environment around the metal center was found to be a pentacoordinate CuN₂O₂O_W distorted square-pyramidal geometry. In order to systematically explore a detailed in vitro and in silico study of the DNA binding of the title complex, various biophysical (UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence, competitive binding with ethidium bromide) and theoretical (DFT, molecular docking simulation, and QM/MM) methods were applied which revealed that the complex could intercalate with the insertion of the amp ligand between the DNA base pairs. The experimental thermodynamic parameters of the interaction revealed the spontaneity of the process and the domination of the hydrophobic interactions in the association and stabilization of the DNA-Cu(II) complex adduct, which was in line with the docking and QM/MM data. In vitro cytotoxic potential of the complex against the human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cells was examined using MTT assay, which indicated that cancerous cells showed inhibition in presence of the complex.

Synthesis, Characterization, Biological Evaluation and DNA Interaction Studies of 4-Aminophenol Derivatives: Theoretical and Experimental Approach

In the present study, five 4-aminophenol derivatives (4-chloro-2-(((4-hydroxyphenyl)imino)methyl)phenol(S-1), 4-((4-(dimethylamino)benzylidene)amino)phenol(S-2), 4-((3-nitrobenzylidene)amino)phenol(S-3), 4-((thiophen-2-ylmethylene)amino)phenol(S-4) and 4-(((E)-3-phenylallylidene)amino)phenol(S-5)) were synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and elemental analyses. The synthesized compounds were tested for their antimicrobial (Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and Saccharomyces cervesea fungus) and antidiabetic (α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory) activities. All the compounds showed broad-spectrum activities against the Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Micrococcus luteus (ATCC 4698), Staphylococcus epidermidis (ATCC 12228), Bacillus subtilis sub. sp spizizenii (ATCC 6633), Bordetella bronchiseptica (ATCC 4617) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ATCC 9763) strains. The newly synthesized compounds showed a significant inhibition of amylase (93.2%) and glucosidase (73.7%) in a concentration-dependent manner. Interaction studies of Human DNA with the synthesized Schiff bases were also performed. The spectral bands of S-1, S-2, S-3 and S-5 all showed hyperchromism, whereas the spectral band of S-4 showed a hypochromic effect. Moreover, the spectral bands of the S-2, S-3 and S-4 compounds were also found to exhibit a bathochromic shift (red shift). The present studies delineate broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antidiabetic activities of the synthesized compounds. Additionally, DNA interaction studies highlight the potential of synthetic compounds as anticancer agents. The DNA interaction studies, as well as the antidiabetic activities articulated by the molecular docking methods, showed the promising aspects of synthetic compounds.

The new psychoactive substances 25H-NBOMe and 25H-NBOH induce abnormal development in the zebrafish embryo and interact in the DNA major groove

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25H-NBOMe and 25H-NBOH recreational drugs induces abnormal formation in zebrafish embryos.

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Biophysical and theoretical studies indicate that these drugs have affinity for the DNA major groove.

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The toxicity observed in the zebrafish embryos and DNA interaction may be correlated.

Toxicological effects of 25H-NBOMe and 25H-NBOH recreational drugs on zebrafish embryos and larvae at the end of 96 h exposure period were demonstrated. 25H-NBOH and 25H-NBOMe caused high embryo mortality at 80 and 100 µg mL⁻¹, respectively. According to the decrease in the concentration tested, lethality decreased while non-lethal effects were predominant up to 10 and 50 µg mL⁻¹ of 25H-NBOH and 25H-NBOMe, respectively, including spine malformation, egg hatching delay, body malformation, otolith malformation, pericardial edema, and blood clotting. We can disclose that these drugs have an affinity for DNA in vitro using biophysical spectroscopic assays and molecular modeling methods. The experiments demonstrated that 25H-NBOH and 25H-NBOMe bind to the unclassical major groove of ctDNA with a binding constant of 27.00 × 10⁴ M⁻¹ and 5.27 × 10⁴ M⁻¹, respectively. Furthermore, these interactions lead to conformational changes in the DNA structure. Therefore, the results observed in the zebrafish embryos and DNA may be correlated.

Unveiling the interaction between PDT active squaraines with ctDNA: A spectroscopic study

Squaraine dyes are potential photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy (PDT) due to their ability to release reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cause DNA damage. For this reason, the evaluation and determination of the type of interaction between squaraines and DNA is of the utmost importance. In this study different spectroscopic techniques such as UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopies were used to investigate the type of interaction that occurs between two photosensitizers (halogenated squaraines, i.e. Br-C4 and I-C4) and calf thymus DNA (ctDNA). Squaraines were found to bind ctDNA externally following a minor groove binding as they were able to replace Hoechst (a classic groove binder) from the groove of DNA. This binding mode was further supported by iodide quenching studies, ionic strength assay and Florescence Resonance Energy Transfer. Moreover, association (K_A) and dissociation (K_D) constants were obtained and compared with constants of well-known groove binders.

Synthesis, DNA Binding, and Molecular Docking Studies of Dimethylaminobenzaldehyde-Based Bioactive Schiff Bases

A new series of p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde derivatives were tested for therapeutic potential by exploring their properties through characterization. The derivatives were synthesized by 1 : 1 condensation reaction of p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde and substituted amines. The synthesized compounds 1–8 were characterized by different characterization techniques including IR, mass, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and mass spectrometry. Furthermore, binding of these Schiff bases to Ct-DNA was examined by absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence quenching, circular dichroic, viscosity measurement, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation methods. Schiff bases were tested for antimicrobial activity against bacterial species Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus by the disc diffusion method. The pharmacological treatment of Schiff bases showed that 1–8 have promising potential against tested bacterial strains. The molecular docking study of the target compounds was also carried out against B-DNA dodecamer d(CGCGAATTCGCG)2, and it has been found that 1–8 can bind to Ct-DNA via an intercalative mode. DPPH free radical and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays were employed to assess the antioxidant potential of synthesized Schiff bases.

4-Acetamidophenol Binding Mechanism with DNA by UV-Vis and FTIR Techniques Based on Binding Energy, LUMO and HOMO Orbitals and Geometry of Molecule

Present study was conducted to appraise the interaction mechanism of 4-acetamidophenol (4-AP) with DNA based on UV-Vis and FTIR techniques based on binding energy, isolated atomic energy, LUMO and HOMO orbitals gap and geometry of molecule. Analysis revealed the groove binding and intercalation mode of interaction between 4-AP and DNA since hyperchromic and bathochromic shifts were observed in response of interaction of DNA. The planar part of interacting molecule intercalated with DNA and non-planar part of 4-acetamidophenol bounded with DNA (groove binding). The constants for binding between 4-AP and DNA were calculated and 20.12 × 103 mol−1 dm3 binding constant was recorded at pH 4.7, whereas this value was 5.32 × 103 mol−1 dm3 for the pH 7.4. The binding constant value for interaction of 4-AP with DNA revealed the possibility of oral administration of 4-AP. The 4-AP binding with DNA is spontaneous process, which was confirmed from negative value of free energy at room temperature. FTIR study revealed that C–H and C=C (aromatic) functional groups were involved in binding at pH 4.7 and C=O (amide) was involved in groove binding, whereas C–H (aromatic) was responsible for intercalation at pH 7.4 and C–H (alkaline) and C=O (amide) were responsible for groove binding at pH 4.7.

Interaction of cobalt(II) and copper(II) hydroxamates with polyriboadenylic acid: An insight into RNA based drug designing

The polyadenylic acid [poly(A)] tail of mRNA plays a noteworthy role in the initiation of the translation, maturation, and stability of mRNA. It also significantly contributes to the production of alternate proteins in eukaryotic cells. Hence, it has recently been recognized as a prospective drug target. Binding affinity of bis(N-p-tolylbenzohydroxamato)Cobalt(II), [N-p-TBHA-Co(II)] (1) and bis(N-p-naphthylbenzohydroxamato)Copper(II), [N-p-NBHA-Cu(II)] (2) complexes with poly(A) have been investigated by biophysical techniques namely, absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy, viscometric measurements and through molecular docking studies. The intrinsic binding constants (K_b) of complexes were determined following the order of N-p-TBHA-Co(II)] > N-p-NBHA-Cu(II), along with hyperchromism and a bathochromic shift for both complexes. The fluorescence quenching method revealed an interaction between poly(A)-N-p-TBHA-Co(II)/poly(A)-N-p-NBHA-Cu(II). The mode of binding was also determined via the fluorescence ferrocyanide quenching method. The increase in the viscosity of poly(A) that occurred from increasing the concentration of the N-p-TBHA-Co(II)/N-p-NBHA-Cu(II) complex was scrutinized. The characteristics of the interaction site of poly(A) with N-p-TBHA-Co(II)/N-p-NBHA-Cu(II) were adenine and phosphate groups, as revealed by DRS-FTIR spectroscopy. Based on these observations, a partial intercalative mode of the binding of poly(A) has been proposed for both complexes. Circular dichroism confirmed the interaction of both the complexes with poly(A). The molecular docking results illustrated that complexes strongly interact with poly(A) via the relative binding energies of the docked structure as -259.39eV and -226.30eV for N-p-TBHA-Co(II) and N-p-NBHA-Cu(II) respectively. Moreover, the binding affinity of N-p-TBHA-Co(II) is higher in all aspects than N-p-NBHA-Cu(II) for poly(A).

Binding interaction of a heteroleptic silver(I) complex with DNA: A joint experimental and computational study

A new heteroleptic Ag(I) complex formulated as [Ag(daf)(phen)]NO₃, where daf and phen stand for 4,5-diazafluoren-9-one and 1,10-phenanthroline, respectively, has been prepared and structurally characterized by elemental analysis, spectroscopic methods (IR, ¹HNMR, and UV-Vis) and cyclic voltammetry. The geometry optimization around Ag(I) at the level of DFT has demonstrated that the Ag(I) center has been nested in a tetrahedral N4 coordination geometry which found to be in close agreement with the experimentally proposed structure. The bond lengths, angles, and the HOMO/LUMO energies have been calculated to substantiate the geometry of the complex. The DNA binding property of the Ag(I) complex has been explored in detail both theoretically (DFT and molecular docking) and experimentally (UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy, luminescence quenching, competitive binding with ethidium bromide, cyclic voltammetry, and gel electrophoresis), indicating the good affinity of the Ag(I) complex for the intercalation (K_b (binding constant) = 3.45 × 10⁵ M^-1). Providing a fuller picture of Ag(I) complex-DNA interaction, the energy-minimized structure of the complex has been docked to the DNA with a d(AGACGTCT)₂ sequence and the results are in close agreement with experimental achievements and make a deeper insight into the relationship between the structure and biological activity of the complex.

Studies of the binding mode of TXNHCH2COOH with calf thymus DNA by spectroscopic methods

In this study, a thioxanthone derivative named 2-(9-oxo-9H-thioxanthen-2ylamino) acetic acid (TX-NHCH2COOH) was used to investigate small molecule and DNA binding interactions. Absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopy were used and melting studies were used to explain the binding mode of TXNHCH2COOH-DNA. Intrinsic binding constant Kb TXNHCH2COOH was found 6×10(5)M(-1)from UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. Fluorescence emmision intensity increased by adding ct-DNA to the TXNHCH2COOH and KI quenching experiments resulted with low Ksv value. Additionally, 3.7°C increase for Tm was observed. The observed quenching of EB and ct-DNA complex and increase viscosity values of ct-DNA by addition of TXNHCH2COOH was determined. All those results indicate that TXNHCH2COOH can intercalate into DNA base pairs. Fluorescence microscopy helped to display imaging of the TXNHCH2COOH-DNA solution.

Studies on the interaction of apigenin with calf thymus DNA by spectroscopic methods

The interaction between apigenin and calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (ctDNA) in a pH 7.4 Tris-HCl buffer solution was investigated by UV-Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, DNA melting techniques, and viscosity measurements. It was found that apigenin molecules could intercalate into the base pairs of DNA, forming a apigenin-DNA complex with a binding constant of K310K=6.4×10(4)Lmol(-1). The thermodynamic parameters enthalpy change (ΔH), entropy change (ΔS) and Gibbs free energy (ΔG) were calculated to be 7.36×10(4)Jmol(-1), 329JK(-1)mol(-1) and -2.84×10(4)Jmol(-1) at 310K, respectively. Hydrophobic interaction was the predominant intermolecular force in stabilizing the apigenin-DNA complex. Thermal denaturation study suggested that the stabilization of the ctDNA helix was increased when the apigenin binding to ctDNA as indicated by the increase in thermal denaturation temperature of ctDNA at around 5.0°C in the presence of apigenin. Spectroscopic techniques together with melting techniques and viscosity determination provided evidences of intercalation mode of binding for the interaction between apigenin and ctDNA.

Partial intercalative binding of the food colorant erythrosine to herring sperm DNA

Erythrosine partially inserts into the G–C rich region of hsDNA and induces moderate conformational perturbation of the DNA.

In vitro studies on the behavior of salmeterol xinafoate and its interaction with calf thymus DNA by multi-spectroscopic techniques

The salmeterol xinafoate (SX) binding to calf thymus DNA in vitro was explored by fluorescence, resonance light scattering (RLS), UV-vis absorption, as well as viscometry, ionic strength effect and DNA melting techniques. It was found that SX could bind to DNA weakly, and the binding constants (Ka) were determined as 8.52×10(3), 8.31×10(3) and 6.14×10(3) L mol(-1) at 18, 28 and 38°C respectively. When bound to DNA, SX showed fluorescence quenching in the fluorescence spectra and hyperchromic effect in the absorption spectra. Stern-Volmer plots revealed that the quenching of fluorescence of SX by DNA was a static quenching. Furthermore, the relative viscosity and melting temperature of DNA solution were hardly influenced by SX, while the fluorescence intensity of SX-DNA was observed to decrease with the increasing ionic strength of system. Also, the binding constant between SX and double stranded DNA (dsDNA) was much weaker than that between SX and single stranded DNA (ssDNA). All these results suggested that the binding mode of SX to DNA should be groove binding. The obtained thermodynamic parameters indicated that electrostatic force might play a predominant role in SX binding to DNA. The quantum yield (φ) of SX was measured as 0.13 using comparative method. Based on the Förster resonance energy transfer theory (FRET), the binding distance (r0) between the acceptor and donor was calculated as 4.10 nm.

Interaction of a copper (II) complex containing an artificial sweetener (aspartame) with calf thymus DNA

A copper (II) complex containing aspartame (APM) as ligand, Cu(APM)2Cl2⋅2H2O, was synthesized and characterized. In vitro binding interaction of this complex with native calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) was studied at physiological pH. The interaction was studied using different methods: spectrophotometric, spectrofluorometric, competition experiment, circular dichroism (CD) and viscosimetric techniques. Hyperchromicity was observed in UV absorption band of Cu(APM)2Cl2⋅2H2O. A strong fluorescence quenching reaction of DNA to Cu(APM)2Cl2⋅2H2O was observed and the binding constants (Kf) and corresponding numbers of binding sites (n) were calculated at different temperatures. Thermodynamic parameters, enthalpy change (ΔH) and entropy change (ΔS) were calculated to be+89.3 kJ mol(-1) and+379.3 J mol(-1) K(-1) according to Van't Hoff equation which indicated that reaction is predominantly entropically driven. Experimental results from spectroscopic methods were comparable and further supported by viscosity measurements. We suggest that Cu(APM)2Cl2⋅2H2O interacts with calf thymus DNA via a groove interaction mode with an intrinsic binding constant of 8×10+4 M(-1). Binding of this copper complex to DNA was found to be stronger compared to aspartame which was studied recently.

Spectroscopic studies of DNA interactions with food colorant indigo carmine with the use of ethidium bromide as a fluorescence probe

The interaction of indigo carmine (IC) with calf thymus DNA in physiological buffer (pH 7.4), using ethidium bromide (EB) dye as a fluorescence probe, was investigated by ultraviolet-visible absorption, fluorescence, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, coupled with viscosity measurements and DNA-melting studies. Hypochromicity of the absorption spectra of IC and enhancement in fluorescence polarization of IC were observed with the addition of DNA. Moreover, the binding of IC to DNA was able to decrease iodide and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) quenching effects, increase the melting temperature and relative viscosity of DNA, and induce the changes in CD spectra of DNA. All of the evidence indicated that IC interacted with DNA in the mode of intercalative binding. Furthermore, the three-way synchronous fluorescence spectra data obtained from the interaction between IC and DNA-EB were resolved by parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), and the results provided simultaneously the concentration information and the pure spectra for the three reaction components (IC, EB, and DNA-EB) of the system at equilibrium. This PARAFAC demonstrated that the intercalation of IC molecules into DNA proceeded by substituting for EB in the DNA-EB complex. The calculated thermodynamic parameters, ΔH° and ΔS°, suggested that both hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds played a predominant role in the binding of IC to DNA.