Fifty Shades of Phenanthroline: Synthesis Strategies to Functionalize 1,10-Phenanthroline in All Positions

1,10-Phenanthroline (phen) is one of the most popular ligands ever used in coordination chemistry due to its strong affinity for a wide range of metals with various oxidation states. Its polyaromatic structure provides robustness and rigidity, leading to intriguing features in numerous fields (luminescent coordination scaffolds, catalysis, supramolecular chemistry, sensors, theranostics, etc.). Importantly, phen offers eight distinct positions for functional groups to be attached, showcasing remarkable versatility for such a simple ligand. As a result, phen has become a landmark molecule for coordination chemists, serving as a must-use ligand and a versatile platform for designing polyfunctional arrays. The extensive use of substituted phenanthroline ligands with different metal ions has resulted in a diverse array of complexes tailored for numerous applications. For instance, these complexes have been utilized as sensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells, as luminescent probes modified with antibodies for biomaterials, and in the creation of elegant supramolecular architectures like rotaxanes and catenanes, exemplified by Sauvage's Nobel Prize-winning work in 2016. In summary, phen has found applications in almost every facet of chemistry. An intriguing aspect of phen is the specific reactivity of each pair of carbon atoms ([2,9], [3,8], [4,7], and [5,6]), enabling the functionalization of each pair with different groups and leading to polyfunctional arrays. Furthermore, it is possible to differentiate each position in these pairs, resulting in non-symmetrical systems with tremendous versatility. In this Review, the authors aim to compile and categorize existing synthetic strategies for the stepwise polyfunctionalization of phen in various positions. This comprehensive toolbox will aid coordination chemists in designing virtually any polyfunctional ligand. The survey will encompass seminal work from the 1950s to the present day. The scope of the Review will be limited to 1,10-phenanthroline, excluding ligands with more intracyclic heteroatoms or fused aromatic cycles. Overall, the primary goal of this Review is to highlight both old and recent synthetic strategies that find applicability in the mentioned applications. By doing so, the authors hope to establish a first reference for phenanthroline synthesis, covering all possible positions on the backbone, and hope to inspire all concerned chemists to devise new strategies that have not yet been explored.

Gaining Insights on the Interactions of a Class of Decorated (2-([2,2'-Bipyridin]-6-yl)phenyl)platinum Compounds with c-Myc Oncogene Promoter G-Quadruplex and Other DNA Structures

Organometallic molecules offer some of the most promising scaffolds for interaction with G-quadruplex nucleic acids. We report the efficient synthesis of a family of organoplatinum(II) complexes, featuring a 2-([2,2'-bipyridin]-6-yl)phenyl tridentate (N^∧ N^∧ C) ligand, that incorporates peripheral side-chains aiming at enhancing and diversifying its interaction capabilities. These include a di-isopropyl carbamoyl amide, a morpholine ethylenamide, two enantiomeric proline imides and an oxazole. The binding affinities of the Pt-complexes were evaluated via UV-vis and fluorescence titrations, against 5 topologically-distinct DNA structures, including c-myc G-quadruplex, two telomeric (22AG) G-quadruplexes, a duplex (ds26) and a single-stranded (polyT) DNA. All compounds exhibited binding selectivity in favour of c-myc, with association constants (K_a ) in the range of 2-5×10⁵  M^-1 , lower affinity for both folds of 22AG and for ds26 and negligible affinity for polyT. Remarkable emission enhancements (up to 200-fold) upon addition of excess DNA were demonstrated by a subset of the compounds with c-myc, providing a basis for optical selectivity, since optical response to all other tested DNAs was low. A c-myc DNA-melting experiment showed significant stabilizing abilities for all compounds, with the most potent binder, the morpholine-Pt-complex, exhibiting a ΔT_m >30 °C, at 1 : 5 DNA-to-ligand molar ratio. The same study implied contributions of the diverse side-chains to helix stabilization. To gain direct evidence of the nature of the interactions, mixtures of c-myc with the four most promising compounds were studied via UV Resonance Raman (UVRR) spectroscopy, which revealed end-stacking binding mode, combined with interactions of side-chains with loop nucleobase residues. Docking simulations were conducted to provide insights into the binding modes for the same four Pt-compounds, suggesting that the binding preference for two alternative orientations of the c-myc G-quadruplex thymine 'cap' ('open' vs. 'closed'), as well as the relative contributions to affinity from end-stacking and H-bonding, are highly dependent on the nature of the interacting Pt-complex side-chain.

Ruthenium(II) Polypyridyl Complexes and Their Use as Probes and Photoreactive Agents for G-quadruplexes Labelling

Due to their optical and electrochemical properties, ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes have been used in a wide array of applications. Since the discovery of the light-switch ON effect of [Ru(bpy)2dppz]2+ when interacting with DNA, the design of new Ru(II) complexes as light-up probes for specific regions of DNA has been intensively explored. Amongst them, G-quadruplexes (G4s) are of particular interest. These structures formed by guanine-rich parts of DNA and RNA may be associated with a wide range of biological events. However, locating them and understanding their implications in biological pathways has proven challenging. Elegant approaches to tackle this challenge relies on the use of photoprobes capable of marking, reversibly or irreversibly, these G4s. Indeed, Ru(II) complexes containing ancillary π-deficient TAP ligands can create a covalently linked adduct with G4s after a photoinduced electron transfer from a guanine residue to the excited complex. Through careful design of the ligands, high selectivity of interaction with G4 structures can be achieved. This allows the creation of specific Ru(II) light-up probes and photoreactive agents for G4 labelling, which is at the core of this review composed of an introduction dedicated to a brief description of G-quadruplex structures and two main sections. The first one will provide a general picture of ligands and metal complexes interacting with G4s. The second one will focus on an exhaustive and comprehensive overview of the interactions and (photo)reactions of Ru(II) complexes with G4s.

Quadruplex Ligands in Cancer Therapy

Nucleic acids can adopt alternative secondary conformations including four-stranded structures known as quadruplexes. To date, quadruplexes have been demonstrated to exist both in human chromatin DNA and RNA. In particular, quadruplexes are found in guanine-rich sequences constituting G-quadruplexes, and in cytosine-rich sequences forming i-Motifs as a counterpart. Quadruplexes are associated with key biological processes ranging from transcription and translation of several oncogenes and tumor suppressors to telomeres maintenance and genome instability. In this context, quadruplexes have prompted investigations on their possible role in cancer biology and the evaluation of small-molecule ligands as potential therapeutic agents. This review aims to provide an updated close-up view of the literature on quadruplex ligands in cancer therapy, by grouping together ligands for DNA and RNA G-quadruplexes and DNA i-Motifs.

Metal-Based G-Quadruplex Binders for Cancer Theranostics

The ability of fluorescent small molecules, such as metal complexes, to selectively recognize G-quadruplex (G4) structures has opened a route to develop new probes for the visualization of these DNA structures in cells. The main goal of this review is to update the most recent research efforts towards the development of novel cancer theranostic agents using this type of metal-based probes that specifically recognize G4 structures. This encompassed a comprehensive overview of the most significant progress in the field, namely based on complexes with Cu, Pt, and Ru that are among the most studied metals to obtain this class of molecules. It is also discussed the potential interest of obtaining G4-binders with medical radiometals (e.g., 99mTc, 111In, 64Cu, 195mPt) suitable for diagnostic and/or therapeutic applications within nuclear medicine modalities, in order to enable their theranostic potential.

Targeting Guanine Quadruplexes with Luminescent Platinum(II) Complexes Bearing a Pendant Nucleobase

Guanine quadruplexes are tetra-stranded nucleic acid structures currently raising significant interest in the context of the development of potential anticancer therapeutics with a new mode of action. They are composed of planar guanine tetrads, allowing a high-affinity targeting by using molecules with a large π surface. However, the extreme topological versatility of guanine quadruplexes impedes a straightforward targeting of particular preselected guanine-rich sequences. We report here a systematic study of a family of luminescent platinum(II) complexes devised to overcome this challenge. By attaching a pendant adenine or thymine nucleobase as a substituent to one of the ligands at the platinum center, an additional recognition site is introduced with the aim of modulating the affinity of the metal complex to different DNA sequences. By comparing different attached nucleobases and a series of linker moieties, first conclusions are drawn with respect to the scope of this approach.

New 2,9-disubstituted-1,10-phenanthroline derivatives with anticancer activity by selective targeting of telomeric G-quadruplex DNA

Fifteen new 1,10-phenanthrolines disubstituted at positions 2 and 9 via amide bonds with different heterocycles have been designed and synthesized as G-quadruplex DNA stabilizers. Ten compounds were evaluated for the in vitro anticancer activity against 60 human tumor cell lines panel, four of them showing a very good inhibitory activity on several cell lines. To assess the ability of the most active compounds to interact with G-quadruplex DNA (G4-DNA), circular dichroism experiments were performed. The potency of the compounds to stabilize the G4-DNA has been shown from the thermal denaturation experiments. The mechanism of compounds binding to DNA and to G4-DNA was theoretically investigated by molecular docking studies. The experimental results demonstrated excellent capacity of the two compounds bearing two pyridin-3-yl residues (methylated and non-methylated) to act as selective G-quadruplex binders with promising anticancer activity.

Synthesis and Electrochemical and Spectroscopic Characterization of 4,7-diamino-1,10-phenanthrolines and Their Precursors

New approaches to the synthesis of 4,7-dichloro-1,10-phenanthrolines and their corresponding 9H-carbazol-9-yl-, 10H-phenothiazin-10-yl- and pyrrolidin-1-yl derivatives were developed. Their properties have been characterized by a combination of several techniques: MS, HRMS, GC-MS, electronic absorption spectroscopy and multinuclear NMR in both solution and solid state including ¹⁵N CP/MAS NMR. The structures of 5-fluoro-2,9-dimethyl-4,7-di(pyrrolidin-1-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline (5d), 4,7-di(9H-carbazol-9-yl)-9-oxo-9,10-dihydro-1,10-phenanthroline-5-carbonitrile (6a) and 4,7-di(10H-phenothiazin-10-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline-5-carbonitrile (6b) were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements. The nucleophilic substitutions of hydrogen followed by oxidation produced compounds 6a and 6b. The electrochemical properties of selected 1,10-phenanthrolines were investigated using cyclic voltammetry and compared with commercially available reference 1,10-phenanthrolin-5-amine (5l). The spatial distribution of frontier molecular orbitals of the selected compounds has been calculated by density functional theory (DFT). It was shown that potentials of reduction and oxidation were in consistence with the level of HOMO and LUMO energies.

The Effect of Temperature on the Interaction of Phenanthroline-based Ligands with G-quadruplex: In Silico Viewpoint

AIM AND OBJECTIVE

The stability of the G-quadruplex structure can increase its activity in telomerase inhibiting cancer cells. In this study, a molecular dynamics simulation method was used to study the effect of three phenanthroline-based ligands on the structure of G-quadruplex at the temperatures of 20, 40, 60 and 80°C.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RMSD values and frequency of calculated RMSD in the presence and absence of ligands show that ligands cause the relative stability of the G-quadruplex, particularly at low temperatures. The calculation of hydrogen bonds in Guanine-tetrads in three different quadruplex sheets shows that the effect of ligands on the sheets is not the same so that the bottom sheet of G-quadruplex is most affected by the ligands at high temperatures, and the Guaninetetrads in this sheet are far away. Conformation factor was calculated as a measure of ligands binding affinity for each of the G-quadruplex residues.

RESULTS

The results show that the studied ligands interact more with the G-quadruplex than loop areas, although with increasing temperature, the binding area also includes the G-quadruplex sheets. The contribution of each of the residues involved in the G-quadruplex binding area with ligands was also calculated.

CONCLUSION

The calculations performed are consistent with the previous experimental observations that can help to understand the molecular mechanism of the interaction of phenanthroline and its derivatives with quadruplex.

Selectivity of Terpyridine Platinum Anticancer Drugs for G-quadruplex DNA

Guanine-rich DNA can form four-stranded structures called G-quadruplexes (G4s) that can regulate many biological processes. Metal complexes have shown high affinity and selectivity toward the quadruplex structure. Here, we report the comparison of a panel of platinum (II) complexes for quadruplex DNA selective recognition by exploring the aromatic core around terpyridine derivatives. Their affinity and selectivity towards G4 structures of various topologies have been evaluated by FRET-melting (Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfert-melting) and Fluorescent Intercalator Displacement (FID) assays, the latter performed by using three different fluorescent probes (Thiazole Orange (TO), TO-PRO-3, and PhenDV). Their ability to bind covalently to the c-myc G4 structure in vitro and their cytotoxicity potential in two ovarian cancerous cell lines were established. Our results show that the aromatic surface of the metallic ligands governs, in vitro, their affinity, their selectivity for the G4 over the duplex structures, and platination efficiency. However, the structural modifications do not allow significant discrimination among the different G4 topologies. Moreover, all compounds were tested on ovarian cancer cell lines and normal cell lines and were all able to overcome cisplatin resistance highlighting their interest as new anticancer drugs.

Visualizing telomerase activity for tumour identification by hybridization-triggered ratiometric fluorescence

We developed a ratiometric fluorescence strategy for visualising telomerase activity to aid tumour identification by the naked eye.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of substituted 3-(2'-benzimidazolyl)coumarin platinum(II) complexes as new telomerase inhibitors

Eight new platinum(II) complexes Pt1-Pt8 with substituted 3‑(2'‑benzimidazolyl) coumarins were successfully synthesized and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), infrared spectrophotometry (IR) and elemental analysis. Crystallographic data of these Pt1-Pt8 complexes showed that the Pt(II) has distorted four-coordinated square planar geometry. Pt1-Pt8 were found to display high cytotoxic activity in vitro against the cisplatin-resistant SK-OV-3/DDP cancer cells with a low IC₅₀ from 1.01-10.32 μM, but low cytotoxicity on the normal HL-7702 cells. Further studies revealed that Pt1-Pt3 induced apoptosis in SK-OV-3/DDP cancer cells via mitochondria dysfunction signaling pathways. Our findings also indicated that Pt1 was a telomerase inhibitor targeting c-myc promoter elements.

A novel square-planar Pt(ii) complex as a monomeric and dimeric G-quadruplex DNA binder

A phenanthroimidazole ethylenediamine Pt(ii) complex with coumarin derivative (1) showed high binding properties and thermal stabilization for dimeric quadruplexes G2T1.

Arylsulfanyl groups - Suitable side chains for 5-substituted 1,10-phenanthroline and nickel complexes as G4 ligands and telomerase inhibitors

Guanine-rich DNA sequences can undergo self-assembly into unique G-quadruplex structures that interfere with the binding of proteins to the same DNA region. The formation of DNA G-quadruplexes requires monovalent cations (Na⁺ and K⁺) or small molecules known as G-quadruplex (G4) ligands. Phenanthroline is a type of G4 ligand scaffold known for its coordination with metal ions to form complexes with a large aromatic surface area, which aptly stack with G-quartets. In this report, we have investigated the side chain effect on G-quadruplex recognition by evaluating a series of 5-substituted phenanthroline-based metal complexes (Phen-Ni) binding to telomeric G-quadruplex DNA. Results from biophysical methods including fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) thermal denaturation, CD titration, and the fluorescent intercalator displacement (FID) assay suggest that several Phen-Ni complexes bind to G-quadruplex DNA with submicromolar ^G4DC₅₀ values. Arylsulfanyl groups at the 5 position of 1,10-phenanthroline are the best side chains regarding binding affinity and selectivity towards G-quadruplex DNA. Most of the G-quadruplex binding Phen-Ni complexes can inhibit telomerase activity in vitro as indicated by the telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay and such inhibition is clearly concentration dependent. Our results here provide a guidance of utilizing 5-substituted phenanthroline derivatives as a viable and facile approach to design novel G4 ligands.

Enhanced G-Quadruplex DNA Stabilization and Telomerase Inhibition by Novel Fluorescein Derived Salen and Salphen Based Ni(II) and Pd(II) Complexes

Metal based salen complexes have been considered as an important scaffold toward targeting of DNA structures. In the present work, we have synthesized nickel(II) and palladium(II) salen and salphen complexes by using readily available fluorescein as the backbone to provide an extended aromatic surface. The metal complexes exhibit affinity toward the human telomeric G-quadruplex DNA with promising inhibition of telomerase activity. This has been ascertained by their efficiency in the long term cell proliferation assay which showed significant cancer cell toxicity in the presence of the metal complexes. Confocal microscopy showed cellular internalization followed by localization in the nucleus and mitochondria. Considerable population at the sub-G1 phase of the cell cycle showed cell death via apoptotic pathway.

Preparation of 6/8/11-Amino/Chloro-Oxoisoaporphine and Group-10 Metal Complexes and Evaluation of Their in Vitro and in Vivo Antitumor Activity

A series of group-10 metal complexes 1–14 of oxoisoaporphine derivatives were designed and synthesized. 1–14 were more selectively cytotoxic to Hep-G2 cells comparing with normal liver cells. In vitro cytotoxicity results showed that complexes 1–6, 7, 8, 10 and 11, especially 3, were telomerase inhibitors targeting c-myc, telomeric, and bcl-2 G4s and triggered cell senescence and apoptosis; they also caused telomere/DNA damage and S phase arrest. In addition, 1–6 also caused mitochondrial dysfunction. Notably, 3 with 6-amino substituted ligand L^a exhibited less side effects than 6 with 8-amino substituted ligand L^b and cisplatin, but similar tumor growth inhibition efficacy in BEL-7402 xenograft model. Complex 3 has the potential to be developed as an effective anticancer agent.

Phenanthroline-bis-oxazole ligands for binding and stabilization of G-quadruplexes

BACKGROUND

G-quadruplexes (G4) are found at important genome regions such as telomere ends and oncogene promoters. One prominent strategy to explore the therapeutic potential of G4 is stabilized it with specific ligands.

METHODS

We report the synthesis of new phenanthroline, phenyl and quinoline acyclic bisoxazole compounds in order to explore and evaluate the targeting to c-myc and human telomeric repeat 22AG G4 using FRET-melting, CD-melting, NMR, fluorescence titrations and FID assays.

RESULTS

The design strategy has led to potent compounds (Phen-1 and Phen-2) that discriminate different G4 structures (human telomeric sequences and c-myc promoter) and selectively stabilize G4 over duplex DNA. CD studies show that Phen-2 binds and induces antiparallel topologies in 22AG quadruplex and also binds c-myc promotor, increasing their T_m in about 12°C and 30°C respectively. In contrast, Phen-1 induces parallel topologies in 22AG and c-myc, with a moderate stabilization of 4°C for both sequences. Consistent with a CD melting study, Phen-2 binds strongly (K=10⁶ to 10⁷M^-1) to c-myc and 22AG quadruplexes.

CONCLUSIONS

Phen-1 and Phen-2 discriminated among various quadruplex topologies and exhibited high selectivity for quadruplexes over duplexes. Phen-2 retains antiparallel topologies for quadruplex 22AG and does not induce conformational changes on the parallel c-myc quadruplex although Phen-1 favors the parallel topology. NMR studies also showed that the Phen-2 binds to the c-myc quadruplex via end stacking.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

Overall, the results suggest the importance of Phen-2 as a scaffold for the fine-tuning with substituents in order to enhance binding and stabilization to G4 structures. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "G-quadruplex" Guest Editor: Dr. Concetta Giancola and Dr. Daniela Montesarchio.

Downregulation of oncogenic RAS and c-Myc expression in MOLT-4 leukaemia cells by a salicylaldehyde semicarbazone copper(II) complex

Copper complexes with potent anti-tumor effect have been extensively developed. Most investigations of their modes of action focused on the biomolecular targets but not the signal transduction between target binding and cell death. We have previously shown that the cytotoxic complex pyridine(2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde dibenzyl semicarbazone)copper(II) (complex 1) shows selective binding to human telomeric G-quadruplex DNA over double-stranded DNA in vitro. Herein, we elucidate the mechanism of action by which complex 1 induces apoptosis in MOLT-4 cells. Complex 1 accumulates in the nuclei and differentially downregulates the expression of c-Myc, c-Kit and KRAS oncogenes. Chemical affinity capture assay results show that the complex is associated with c-Myc and KRAS quadruplex sequences in MOLT-4 cells. We further showed that the reduction in Ras protein expression resulted in attenuated MEK-ERK and PI3K-Akt signalling activities, leading to the activation of caspase-dependent apoptosis. Notably, complex 1 increased the sensitivity of MOLT-4 cells to cisplatin and vice versa. Overall, we demonstrated that complex 1 induces apoptosis, at least in part, by suppressing KRAS, c-Kit and c-Myc oncogene expression and the pro-survival MEK-ERK and PI3K-Akt signalling pathways.

Relative stability of G-quadruplex structures: Interactions between the human Bcl2 promoter region and derivatives of carbazole and diphenylamine

The bcl2 promoter region forms a G-quadruplex structure, which is a crucial target for anticancer drug development. In this study, we provide theoretical predictions of the stability of different G-quadruplex folds of the 23-mer bcl2 promoter region and G-quadruplex ligand. We take into account the whole G-quadruplex structure, including bound-cations and solvent effects, in order to compute the ligand binding free energy using molecular dynamics simulation. Two series of the carbazole and diphenylamine derivatives are used to screen for the most potent drug in terms of stabilization. The energy analysis identifies the predominant energy components affecting the stability of the various different G-quadruplex folds. The energy associated with the stability of the G-quadruplex-K(+) structures obtained displays good correlation with experimental Tm measurements. We found that loop orientation has an intrinsic influence on G-quadruplex stability and that the basket structure is the most stable. Furthermore, parallel loops are the most effective drug binding site. Our studies also demonstrate that rigidity and planarity are the key structural elements of a drug that stabilizes the G-quadruplex structure. BMVC-4 is the most potential G-quadruplex ligand. This approach demonstrates significant promise and should benefit drug design.

Enantiomers of tetrahedral metal–organic cages: a new class of highly efficient G-quadruplex ligands with potential anticancer activities

A new class of chiral tetrahedral cages efficiently stabilized antiparallel G-quadruplex DNA with moderate enantioselectivity and displayed promising cytotoxicity against several cancer cell lines.

Platinum(II) phenanthroimidazole G-quadruplex ligand induces selective telomere shortening in A549 cancer cells

Telomere maintenance, achieved by the binding of protective shelterin capping proteins to telomeres and by either telomerase or a recombination-based alternative lengthening of telomere (ALT) mechanism, is critical for cell proliferation and survival. Extensive telomere shortening or loss of telomere integrity activates DNA damage checkpoints, leading to cell senescence or death. Although telomerase upregulation is an attractive target for anti-cancer therapy, the lag associated with telomere shortening and the potential activation of ALT pose a challenge. An alternative approach is to modify telomere interactions with binding proteins (telomere uncapping). G-quadruplex ligands stabilize structures generated from single-stranded G-rich 3'-telomere end (G-quadruplex) folding, which in principle, cannot be elongated by telomerase, thus leading to telomere shortening. Ligands can also mediate rapid anti-proliferative effects by telomere uncapping. We previously reported that the G-quadruplex ligand, phenylphenanthroimidazole ethylenediamine platinum(II) (PIP), inhibits telomerase activity in vitro[47]. In the current study, a long-term seeding assay showed that PIP significantly inhibited the seeding capacity of A549 lung cancer cells and to a lesser extent primary MRC5 fibroblast cells. Importantly, treatment with PIP caused a significant dose- and time-dependent decrease in average telomere length of A549 but not MRC5 cells. Moreover, cell cycle analysis revealed a significant increase in G1 arrest upon treatment of A549 cells, but not MRC5 cells. Both apoptosis and cellular senescence may contribute to the anti-proliferative effects of PIP. Our studies validate the development of novel and specific therapeutic ligands targeting telomeric G-quadruplex structures in cancer cells.

Preparation of 4-([2,2':6',2″-terpyridin]-4'-yl)-N,N-diethylaniline Ni(II) and Pt(II) complexes and exploration of their in vitro cytotoxic activities

Two metal complexes of NiLCl2 (1) and [PtLCl]Cl (2) with 4-([2,2':6',2″-terpyridin]-4'-yl)-N,N-diethylaniline (L) were synthesized and characterized. 1 and 2 exhibited selective cytotoxicity to T-24 cells more than L, compared with the normal liver cell line (HL-7702). Various experiments showed that L, 1 and 2 caused T-24 cell cycle arrest at S phase, as shown by the down-regulation of cdc25 A, cyclin A, cyclin B and CDK2 and the up-regulation of p21, p27 and p53. Furthermore, complexes 1 and 2, especially complex 2, acted as telomerase inhibitors targeting c-myc G-quadruplex DNA and triggered cell apoptosis. In addition, 1 and 2 also caused mitochondrial dysfunction. Taken together, we found that 1 and 2 exerted their cytotoxic activity mainly via inhibiting telomerase by interaction with c-myc quadruplex and disruption of mitochondrial function.

Stabilization of G-quadruplex DNA, inhibition of telomerase activity, and tumor cell apoptosis by organoplatinum(II) complexes with oxoisoaporphine

Two G-quadruplex ligands [Pt(L(a))(DMSO)Cl] (Pt1) and [Pt(L(b))(DMSO)Cl] (Pt2) have been synthesized and fully characterized. The two complexes are more selective for SK-OV-3/DDP tumor cells versus normal cells (HL-7702). It was found that both Pt1 and Pt2 could be a telomerase inhibitor targeting G-quadruplex DNA. This is the first report demonstrating that telomeric, c-myc, and bcl-2 G-quadruplexes and caspase-3/9 preferred to bind with Pt2 rather than Pt1, which also can induce senescence and apoptosis. The different biological behavior of Pt1 and Pt2 may correlate with the presence of a 6-hydroxyl group in L(b). Importantly, Pt1 and Pt2 exhibited higher safety in vivo and more effective inhibitory effects on tumor growth in the HCT-8 and NCI-H460 xenograft mouse model, compared with cisplatin. Taken together, these mechanistic insights indicate that both Pt1 and Pt2 display low toxicity and could be novel anticancer drug candidates.

Syntheses of polypyridyl metal complexes and studies of their interaction with quadruplex DNA

A series of metal complexes with substituted terpyridines show high affinity towards quadruplex DNA, particularly bimetallic (trpy)Pt/M(cyclen) complexes.

Interaction of human telomeric G-quadruplex DNA with thymoquinone: a possible mechanism for thymoquinone anticancer effect

BACKGROUND

Thymoquinone (TQ) has been documented to possess chemo-preventive and chemotherapeutic antitumor effects. Studies reported that TQ inhibits the growth of cancer cells in animal models, culture and xenografted tumors. Molecular mechanisms underlying these anticancer effects were attributed to inductions of cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, oxidative damage of cellular macromolecules, blockade of tumor angiogenesis and inhibitions in migration, invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. On the other hand, human telomere DNA plays a role in regulating genes' transcriptions. It folds up into G-quadruplex structures that inhibit telomerase enzyme over-expressed in cancerous cells. Molecules that selectively stabilize G-quadruplex are potential anticancer agents. Therefore, this work aimed to explore the interaction of TQ with G-quadruplex DNA as a possible underlying mechanism for the anticancer effect of TQ.

METHODS

Interactions of TQ with telomeric G-quadruplex (5'-AGGG(TTAGGG)3-3') and duplex DNAs were studied using UV-vis, fluorescence, circular dichroism, liquid and solid NMR (1H and 13C), melting temperature and docking simulation.

RESULTS

Changes in UV-vis, CD, fluorescence, 1H NMR and 13C NMR, spectra as well as melting temperatures and docking simulations provided evidences for TQ's interactions with G-quadruplex. TQ was found to interact with G-quadruplex on two binding sites adjacent to the TTA loop with binding constants 1.80×10(5) and 1.12×10(7) M(-1). Melting temperatures indicated that TQ stabilized G-quadruplex by 5.6 °C and destabilized ct-DNA by 5.1 °C. Selectivity experiment indicated that TQ is preferentially binding to G-quadruplex over duplex with selectivity coefficients of 2.80-3.33×10(-3). Results suggested an intercalation binding mode based on π-π stacking.

CONCLUSION

Our results propose that TQ can possibly act as a G-quadruplex DNA stabilizer and subsequently contribute to the inhibition of telomerase enzyme and cancer's proliferation.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

Our results represent a change in the paradigms reported for structural features of G-quadruplex's stabilizers and anticancer mechanisms of TQ.

Phenanthroline-2,9-bistriazoles as selective G-quadruplex ligands

G-quadruplex (G4) ligands are currently receiving considerable attention as potential anticancer therapeutics. A series of phenanthroline-2,9-bistriazoles carrying tethered positive end groups has been synthesized and evaluated as G4 stabilizers. The compounds were efficiently assembled by copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) in CH2Cl2 and water in the presence of a complexing agent. Characterization of the target compounds on telomeric and c-KIT G4 sequences led to the identification of guanidinium-substituted compounds as potent G4 DNA ligands with high selectivity over duplex DNA. The diisopropylguanidium ligands exhibited high selectivity for the proto-oncogenic sequence c-KIT over the human telomeric sequence in the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay, whereas the compounds appeared potent on both G4 structures in the FRET melting temperature assay. The phenanthroline-2,9-bistriazole ligands were thus identified as potent G4 ligands with high selectivity over duplex DNA, and preliminary results indicate that the scaffold may form basis for the development of subtype-specific G4 ligands.

V-shaped dinuclear Pt(II) complexes: selective interaction with human telomeric G-quadruplex and significant inhibition towards telomerase

A quaternized trigeminal ligand, 4-[4,6-di(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-(2-triazinyl)]-1-methylpyridine-1-ium hexafluorophosphate (dptmp·PF6), and two derivative V-shaped dinuclear Pt(II) complexes, {[Pt(dien)]₂(dptmp)}(PF₆)₅ (1) and {[Pt(dpa)]₂(dptmp)}(PF₆)₅ (2), were synthesized, characterized and applied to a series of biochemical studies. FRET and SPR analyses showed these compounds, especially Pt(II) complexes, bound more strongly to human telomeric (hTel) G-quadruplex than to promoters (such as c-myc and bcl2) or to the duplex DNA. PCR-stop assays revealed that the Pt(II) complexes could bind to and stabilize G-quadruplex far more effectively than corresponding ligand. CD analyses further indicated the three compounds likely stabilized the formation of mixed-type parallel/antiparallel G-quadruplex structures. Their efficacy as telomerase inhibitors and potential anticancer drugs was explored via TRAP. The IC₅₀ value was determined to be 0.113 ± 0.019 μM for 1, indicating that it is one of the strongest known telomerase inhibitors. These results confirm that both V-shaped dinuclear Pt(II) complexes act as selective G-quadruplex binders and significant telomerase inhibitors.

Targeting telomeric G-quadruplexes with the ruthenium(II) complexes [Ru(bpy)(2)(ptpn)](2+) and [Ru(phen)(2)(ptpn)](2+)

Two ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes, [Ru(bpy)(2)(ptpn)](2+) (1) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, ptpn = 3-(1,10-phenanthroline-2-yl)-as-triazino[5,6-f]1,10-phenanthroline) and [Ru(phen)(2)(ptpn)](2+) (2) (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), were synthesized and characterized. Crystal structure analysis shows that complex 1 has a large planar aromatic area and possesses the potential to fit the geometric structure of G-quadruplex. The interaction of the G-quadruplex DNA with Ru(ii) complexes was explored by means of circular dichroism (CD), fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) melting assay, competitive FRET assay and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) stop assay. The results indicated that complexes 1 and 2 both have the ability to promote the formation and stabilization of the human telomeric d[(TTAGGG)(n)] (HTG22) quadruplex and exhibit high G-quadruplex DNA selectivity over duplex DNA. The telomere repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay and long-term proliferation experiments further demonstrate that the Ru(II) complexes are potent telomerase inhibitors and HeLa cell proliferation inhibitors.

The interaction of cisplatin with a human telomeric DNA sequence containing seventeen tandem repeats

The anti-tumour drug, cisplatin, preferentially forms adducts at G-rich DNA sequences. Telomeres are found at the ends of chromosomes and, in humans, contain the repeated DNA sequence (GGGTTA)(n) that is expected to be targeted by cisplatin. Using a plasmid clone with 17 tandem telomeric repeats, (GGGTTA)(17), the DNA sequence specificity of cisplatin was investigated utilising the linear amplification procedure that pin-pointed the precise sites of cisplatin adduct formation. This procedure used a fluorescently labelled primer and capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection to determine the DNA sequence specificity of cisplatin. This technique provided a very accurate analysis of cisplatin-DNA adduct formation in a long telomeric repeat DNA sequence. The DNA sequence specificity of cisplatin in a long telomeric tandem repeat has not been previously reported. The results indicated that the 3'-end of the G-rich strand of the telomeric repeat was preferentially damaged by cisplatin and this suggests that the telomeric DNA repeat has an unusual conformation.

Chiral ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes: stabilization of g-quadruplex DNA, inhibition of telomerase activity and cellular uptake

Two ruthenium(II) complexes, Λ-[Ru(phen)₂(p-HPIP)]²⁺ and Δ-[Ru(phen)₂(p-HPIP)]²⁺, were synthesized and characterized via proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. This study aims to clarify the anticancer effect of metal complexes as novel and potent telomerase inhibitors and cellular nucleus target drug. First, the chiral selectivity of the compounds and their ability to stabilize quadruplex DNA were studied via absorption and emission analyses, circular dichroism spectroscopy, fluorescence-resonance energy transfer melting assay, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and polymerase chain reaction stop assay. The two chiral compounds selectively induced and stabilized the G-quadruplex of telomeric DNA with or without metal cations. These results provide new insights into the development of chiral anticancer agents for G-quadruplex DNA targeting. Telomerase repeat amplification protocol reveals the higher inhibitory activity of Λ-[Ru(phen)₂(p-HPIP)]²⁺ against telomerase, suggesting that Λ-[Ru(phen)₂(p-HPIP)]²⁺ may be a potential telomerase inhibitor for cancer chemotherapy. MTT assay results show that these chiral complexes have significant antitumor activities in HepG2 cells. More interestingly, cellular uptake and laser-scanning confocal microscopic studies reveal the efficient uptake of Λ-[Ru(phen)₂(p-HPIP)]²⁺ by HepG2 cells. This complex then enters the cytoplasm and tends to accumulate in the nucleus. This nuclear penetration of the ruthenium complexes and their subsequent accumulation are associated with the chirality of the isomers as well as with the subtle environment of the ruthenium complexes. Therefore, the nucleus can be the cellular target of chiral ruthenium complexes for anticancer therapy.

A cyclometallated platinum complex as a selective optical switch for quadruplex DNA

Hits the spot: A cyclometalled platinum(II) complex with a substituted phenanthroline ligand is reported. The complex has high in vitro affinity for quadruplex DNA and upon binding its emission is switched on. The complex can be easily delivered to the cell by using a metallo-cage as a carrier (see illustration). By means of confocal microscopy, it is shown that the complex is released inside the cell, penetrates the nucleus and localises in the nucleoli.

The interactions of phenanthroline compounds with DNAs: preferential binding to telomeric quadruplex over duplex

Compounds that bind and stabilize selectively human telomeric quadruplex DNA structures are of significant interest due to their potential to inhibit telomerase and to halt tumor cell proliferation. In our previous study, we found that three novel phenanthroline derivatives could induce and stabilize significantly the formation of an antiparallel structure of human telomeric G-quadruplex DNA (G(3)(T(2)AG(3))(3)), moreover, these compounds could bind selectively to G-quadruplex over duplex. In order to understand their binding nature, in this work we investigated the interactions of compounds 1-3 with human telomeric G-quadruplex and i-motif (C(3)(A(2)TC(3))(3)) DNAs together with calf thymus DNAs (ct DNA) by means of absorption, fluorescence and CD spectroscopies and competition dialysis assay. Results showed that all three compounds showed the highest affinity for G-quadruplex structure although with least affinity for ct DNA. Compounds 1-3 could also stabilize the structure of i-motif with an increase in melting temperature (ΔT(m)) of 7.6, 7.2 and 10.1°C, respectively, in the presence of 10 times excess of compounds. Their binding stoichiometric ratios were 2:1 and 1:1 for G-quadruplex and i-motif DNAs, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters results indicated that the binding of compound to either quadruplex or duplex DNAs was entropically driven and hydrophobic force played a major role in the reaction.