Oligodeoxynucleotides containing alpha-L-ribo configured LNA-type C-aryl nucleotides

SnCl4 Promoted Efficient Cleavage of Acetal/Ketal Groups with the Assistance of Water in CH2Cl2

Acetalization and deacetalation are a pair of routine manipulations to protect and deprotect the 4- and 6-hydroxyl groups of glycosides in the synthesis of glycosyl building blocks. In this study, we found that treatment of SnCl₄ with various carbohydrates containing acetal/ketal groups with the assistance of water in CH₂Cl₂ led to deacetalization/deketalization products in almost quantitative yields. In addition, for substrates containing both acetal/ketal and p-methoxylbenzyl groups, we also found that the p-methoxylbenzyl group was selectively cleaved by the use of a catalytic amount of SnCl₄, while the acetal/ketal groups remained. Furthermore, based on this, 4,6-benzylidene glycosides can be conveniently converted to 4,6-OAc or 4-OH, 6-OAc glycosides.

Advances in Therapeutic L-Nucleosides and L-Nucleic Acids with Unusual Handedness

Nucleic-acid-based small molecule and oligonucleotide therapies are attractive topics due to their potential for effective target of disease-related modules and specific control of disease gene expression. As the non-naturally occurring biomolecules, modified DNA/RNA nucleoside and oligonucleotide analogues composed of L-(deoxy)riboses, have been designed and applied as innovative therapeutics with superior plasma stability, weakened cytotoxicity, and inexistent immunogenicity. Although all the chiral centers in the backbone are mirror converted from the natural D-nucleic acids, L-nucleic acids are equipped with the same nucleobases (A, G, C and U or T), which are critical to maintain the programmability and form adaptable tertiary structures for target binding. The types of L-nucleic acid drugs are increasingly varied, from chemically modified nucleoside analogues that interact with pathogenic polymerases to nanoparticles containing hundreds of repeating L-nucleotides that circulate durably in vivo. This article mainly reviews three different aspects of L-nucleic acid therapies, including pharmacological L-nucleosides, Spiegelmers as specific target-binding aptamers, and L-nanostructures as effective drug-delivery devices.

Fine Tuning of Pyrene Excimer Fluorescence in Molecular Beacons by Alteration of the Monomer Structure

Oligonucleotide probes labeled with pyrene pairs that form excimers have a number of applications in hybridization analysis of nucleic acids. A long excited state lifetime, large Stokes shift, and chemical stability make pyrene excimer an attractive fluorescent label. Here we report synthesis of chiral phosphoramidite building blocks based on (R)-4-amino-2,2-dimethylbutane-1,3-diol, easily available from an inexpensive d-(-)-pantolactone. 1-Pyreneacetamide, 1-pyrenecarboxamide, and DABCYL derivatives have been used in preparation of molecular beacon (MB) probes labeled with one or two pyrenes/quenchers. We observed significant difference in the excimer emission maxima (475-510 nm; Stokes shifts 125-160 nm or 7520-8960 cm^-1) and excimer/monomer ratio (from 0.5 to 5.9) in fluorescence spectra depending on the structure and position of monomers in the pyrene pair. The pyrene excimer formed by two rigid 1-pyrenecarboxamide residues showed the brightest emission. This is consistent with molecular dynamics data on excimer stability. Increase of the excimer fluorescence for MBs after hybridization with DNA was up to 24-fold.

Pilot trial of EZN-2968, an antisense oligonucleotide inhibitor of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), in patients with refractory solid tumors

PURPOSE

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) facilitates the adaptation of normal and tumor tissues to oxygen deprivation. HIF-1 is frequently overexpressed in cancer cells, where it is involved in the upregulation of many genes necessary for survival. EZN-2968 is an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide that specifically targets HIF-1α, one of the subunits of HIF-1. We conducted a trial of EZN-2968 in patients with refractory solid tumors to evaluate antitumor response and to measure modulation of HIF-1α mRNA and protein levels as well as HIF-1 target genes.

METHODS

Adult patients with refractory advanced solid tumors were administered EZN-2968 as a 2-h IV infusion at a dose of 18 mg/kg once a week for three consecutive weeks followed by 3-week off; in a 6-week cycle. Tumor biopsies and dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) were performed at baseline and after the third dose.

RESULTS

Ten patients were enrolled, of whom all were evaluable for response; one patient with a duodenal neuroendocrine tumor had prolonged stabilization of disease (24 weeks). Reduction in HIF-1α mRNA levels compared to baseline was demonstrated in 4 of 6 patients with paired tumor biopsies. Reductions in levels of HIF-1α protein and mRNA levels of some target genes were observed in two patients. Quantitative analysis of DCE-MRI from two patients revealed changes in K (trans) and k ep. The trial was closed prematurely when the sponsor suspended development of this agent.

CONCLUSION

This trial provides preliminary proof of concept for modulation of HIF-1α mRNA and protein expression and target genes in tumor biopsies following the administration of EZN-2968.

C2'-pyrene-functionalized triazole-linked DNA: universal DNA/RNA hybridization probes

Development of universal hybridization probes, that is, oligonucleotides displaying identical affinity toward matched and mismatched DNA/RNA targets, has been a longstanding goal due to potential applications as degenerate PCR primers and microarray probes. The classic approach toward this end has been the use of "universal bases" that either are based on hydrogen-bonding purine derivatives or aromatic base analogues without hydrogen-bonding capabilities. However, development of probes that result in truly universal hybridization without compromising duplex thermostability has proven challenging. Here we have used the "click reaction" to synthesize four C2'-pyrene-functionalized triazole-linked 2'-deoxyuridine phosphoramidites. We demonstrate that oligodeoxyribonucleotides modified with the corresponding monomers display (a) minimally decreased thermal affinity toward DNA/RNA complements relative to reference strands, (b) highly robust universal hybridization characteristics (average differences in thermal denaturation temperatures of matched vs mismatched duplexes involving monomer W are <1.7 °C), and (c) exceptional affinity toward DNA targets containing abasic sites opposite of the modification site (ΔT(m) up to +25 °C). The latter observation, along with results from absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, suggests that the pyrene moiety is intercalating into the duplex whereby the opposing nucleotide is pushed into an extrahelical position. These properties render C2'-pyrene-functionalized triazole-linked DNA as promising universal hybridization probes for applications in nucleic acid chemistry and biotechnology.

Pyrene-functionalized oligonucleotides and locked nucleic acids (LNAs): tools for fundamental research, diagnostics, and nanotechnology

Pyrene-functionalized oligonucleotides (PFOs) are increasingly explored as tools in fundamental research, diagnostics and nanotechnology. Their popularity is linked to the ability of pyrenes to function as polarity-sensitive and quenchable fluorophores, excimer-generating units, aromatic stacking moieties and nucleic acid duplex intercalators. These characteristics have enabled development of PFOs for detection of complementary DNA/RNA targets, discrimination of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and generation of π-arrays on nucleic acid scaffolds. This critical review will highlight the physical properties and applications of PFOs that are likely to provide high degree of positional control of the chromophore in nucleic acid complexes. Particular emphasis will be placed on pyrene-functionalized Locked Nucleic Acids (LNAs) since these materials display interesting properties such as fluorescence quantum yields approaching unity and recognition of mixed-sequence double stranded DNA (144 references).

Synthesis and biophysical evaluation of 3'-Me-α-L-LNA - Substitution in the minor groove of α-L-LNA duplexes

The synthesis and biophysical evaluation of 3'-Me-α-L-LNA is reported. The synthesis of the nucleoside building block phosphoramidite was accomplished starting from diacetone glucose. The 3'-Me group was introduced in the desired configuration by hydride mediated opening of an exocyclic epoxide. Inversion of the 2'-hydroxyl group was achieved by means of an oxidation/reduction sequence followed by cyclization onto a 5'-leaving group to assemble the [2.2.1] ring system. Biophysical evaluation of 3'-Me-α-L-LNA modified oligonucleotides showed good duplex thermal stabilizing properties which were similar to α-L-LNA. Mismatch discrimination experiments revealed that 3'-Me-α-L-LNA possess slightly enhanced discrimination properties for the GU wobble base-pair as compared to related nucleic acid analogs.

Nucleic acid structural engineering using pyrene-functionalized 2'-amino-alpha-L-LNA monomers and abasic sites

Oligonucleotides (ONs) modified with a 2'-N-(pyren-1-yl)acetyl-2'-amino-alpha-L-LNA thymine monomer Y flanked on the 3'-side by an abasic site Phi (i.e., YPhi-unit) exhibit unprecedented increases in thermal affinity (DeltaT(m) values) toward target strands containing abasic sites (DeltaT(m) per YPhi unit >+33.0 degrees C in 9-mer duplexes relative to unmodified ONs). Biophysical studies along with force field calculations suggest that the conformationally locked 2-oxo-5-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane skeleton of monomer Y, in concert with the short rigid acetyl linker, efficiently forces the thymine and pyrene moieties to adopt an interplanar distance of approximately 3.4 A. This precisely positions the pyrene moiety in the duplex core void formed by abasic sites (Phi:Phi pair) for optimal pi-pi overlap. Duplexes with multiple YPhi: APhi units separated by one base pair are tolerated extraordinarily well, as exemplified by a 13-mer duplex containing four separated YPhi: APhi units (8 abasic sites distributed over 13 "base pairs"), which exhibit a thermal denaturation temperature of 60.5 degrees C. The YPhi probes display up to 16-fold increases in fluorescence intensity at 380 nm upon hybridization with abasic target strands, whereby self-assembly of these complex architectures can be easily monitored. This study underlines the potential of N2'-functionalized 2'-amino-alpha-L-LNA as building blocks in nucleic acid based diagnostics and nanomaterial engineering.

Recent highlights in modified oligonucleotide chemistry

The synthesis of modified nucleic acids has been the subject of much study ever since the structure of DNA was elucidated by Watson and Crick at Cambridge and Wilkins and Franklin at King's College over half a century ago. This review describes recent developments in the synthesis and application of these artificial nucleic acids, predominantly the phosphoramidites which allow for easy inclusion into oligonucleotides, and is divided into three separate sections. Firstly, modifications to the base portion will be discussed followed secondly by modifications to the sugar portion. Finally, changes in the type of nucleic acid linker will be discussed in the third section. Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNAs) are not discussed in this review as they represent a separate and large area of nucleic acid mimics.

Synthesis and hybridization studies of 2'-amino-alpha-L-LNA and tetracyclic "locked LNA"

A convergent route to a new class of locked nucleic acids, i.e., 2'-amino-alpha-L-LNA, has been developed. The optimized synthetic route to the corresponding phosphoramidite building block of thymine proceeds in 4% overall yield over 15 steps from the starting diol. Crucial synthetic steps include (a) introduction of a C2-azido group prior to nucleobase coupling, (b) Vorbrüggen glycosylation primarily affording the desired alpha-anomer, (c) separation of alpha-L-ribo- and beta-L-ribo-configured bicyclic nucleosides, and (d) selection of a suitable protecting group to avoid intramolecular Michael addition of the C2'-amino group onto the C6-position. Incorporation of a 2'-amino-alpha-L-LNA monomer into oligodeoxyribonucleotides results in modest changes in thermal stability with complementary DNA, whereas significant increases in thermal stability are observed with RNA complements along with excellent Watson-Crick discrimination. These results, along with the flexibility of the synthetic strategy allowing chemoselective N2'-functionalization at a late stage, render 2'-amino-alpha-L-LNA a promising building block for nucleic acid based nanobiotechnology and therapeutics. A slight modification in strategy facilitated the synthesis of the corresponding phosphoramidite building blocks of Michael adducts, which due to their tetracyclic skeletons exhibit a conformationally restricted furanose ring and glycosidic torsion angle (anti-range). Incorporation of such a "locked LNA" monomer into oligodeoxyribonucleotides results in large decreases in thermal affinity toward DNA/RNA complements.

Selective deprotection of terminal isopropylidene acetals and trityl ethers using HClO4 supported on silica gel

Terminal isopropylidene acetals are selectively cleaved to the corresponding 1,2-diols in good to excellent yields in 6-24 h at room temperature by using the 'HClO4.SiO2' reagent system. Likewise, trityl ethers are readily cleaved to the corresponding alcohols in good to excellent yields within 2-3 h at room temperature. Work-up involves merely filtration of the reagent followed by purification of the crude product.

An α-d-Configured Bicyclic Nucleoside Restricted in an E-type Conformation: Synthesis and Parallel RNA Recognition

An alpha-D-arabino configured bicyclic nucleoside strongly restricted in an E-type conformation by a 2'-3'-fused oxetane ring is synthesized. Several synthetic strategies toward the target compound are described, and the successful preparation from a D-xylose derivative is based on a ruthenium-mediated cleavage of a double bond, an S(N)2-inversion at the 2-position to give an arabino-configuration, nucleobase coupling, and finally ring closure to give the oxetane ring. The E-type conformation is confirmed by molecular modeling and NMR. The nucleoside is incorporated into short alpha-DNA sequences. In a mixed pyrimidine context, these recognize complementary parallel RNA-sequences with mainly increased affinity and complementary parallel DNA-sequences with decreased affinity. The present bicyclic analogue represents the first conformationally restricted alpha-DNA-analogue to improve nucleic acid recognition in mixmers with alpha-DNA monomers.