In situ formation of transcriptional modulators using non-canonical DNA i-motifs

i-Motif DNA: identification, formation, and cellular functions

An i-motif (iM) is a four-stranded (quadruplex) DNA structure that folds from cytosine (C)-rich sequences. iMs can fold under many different conditions in vitro, which paves the way for their formation in living cells. iMs are thought to play key roles in various DNA transactions, notably in the regulation of genome stability, gene transcription, mRNA translation, DNA replication, telomere and centromere functions, and human diseases. We summarize the different techniques used to assess the folding of iMs in vitro and provide an overview of the internal and external factors that affect their formation and stability in vivo. We describe the possible biological relevance of iMs and propose directions towards their use as target in biology.

Bioorthogonal Chemistry in Translational Research: Advances and Opportunities

Bioorthogonal chemistry is a rapidly expanding field of research that involves the use of small molecules that can react selectively with biomolecules in living cells and organisms, without causing any harm or interference with native biochemical processes. It has made significant contributions to the field of biology and medicine by enabling selective labeling, imaging, drug targeting, and manipulation of bio-macromolecules in living systems. This approach offers numerous advantages over traditional chemistry-based methods, including high specificity, compatibility with biological systems, and minimal interference with biological processes. In this review, we provide an overview of the recent advancements in bioorthogonal chemistry and their current and potential applications in translational research. We present an update on this innovative chemical approach that has been utilized in cells and living systems during the last five years for biomedical applications. We also highlight the nucleic acid-templated synthesis of small molecules by using bioorthogonal chemistry. Overall, bioorthogonal chemistry provides a powerful toolset for studying and manipulating complex biological systems, and holds great potential for advancing translational research.

Nucleoside-Derived Metallohydrogel Induces Cell Death in Leishmania Parasites

Self-assembled hydrogels by virtue of their unique 3D network and tunability have extensively been explored for bio-medical applications like tissue engineering, delivery and release of therapeutic agents, etc. Herein, we demonstrate for the first-time nucleoside-based biocompatible hydrogels with a remarkable leishmanicidal effect against both Leishmania major promastigotes and amastigotes and no cytotoxic effect on the macrophage cell line. In this work, a series of biocompatible hydrogels have been synthesized by silver ion-driven self-assembly of natural nucleoside and nucleotide-like cytidine and 5'-GMP. The supramolecular metallogel obtained from the assembly of cytidine and boronic acid is capable of inducing apoptotic-like cell death of protozoan parasite by causing damage to the membrane as well as DNA. These hydrogels could find promising applications in combating cutaneous leishmaniasis by topical treatment.

Syntheses and evaluation of acridone derivatives as anticancer agents targeting Kras promoter i-motif structure

Two series of novel acridone derivatives were designed and synthesized, with their anticancer activity evaluated. Most of these compounds showed potent antiproliferative activity against cancer cell lines. Among them, compound C4 with dual 1,2,3-triazol moieties exhibited the most potent activity against Hep-G2 cells with IC₅₀ value determined to be 6.29 ± 0.93 μM. Subsequent experiments showed that C4 could bind to and destabilize Kras gene promoter i-motif structure without significant interaction with its corresponding G-quadruplex. C4 could down-regulate Kras expression in Hep-G2 cells, possibly due to its interaction with the Kras i-motif. Further cellular studies indicated that C4 could induce apoptosis of Hep-G2 cells, possibly related to its effect on mitochondrial dysfunction. These results indicated that C4 could be further developed as a promising anticancer agent.

BCL2 G quadruplex-binding small molecules: Current status and prospects for the development of next-generation anticancer therapeutics

B cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) overexpression in a range of human tumors is often related to chemotherapy resistance and poor prognosis. GC-rich regions upstream of the P1 promoter in human BCL2 can form G-quadruplex (G4) structures through the stacking of four Hoogsteen-paired guanine bases. Stabilizing the G4 fold implies the inhibition of BCL2 expression and, thus, small molecules that selectively bind to the G4 are promising anticancer candidates. In this review, we discuss the structural aspects, binding affinity, selectivity, and biological activity of well-characterized BCL2 G4 binding ligands in vitro and in vivo. We also explore future directions in the research and development of G4-based anticancer therapeutics.

Development of a Smart Fluorescent Probe Specifically Interacting with C-Myc I-Motif

I-motifs play key regulatory roles in biological processes, holding great potential as attractive therapeutic targets. In the present study, we developed a novel fluorescent probe G59 with strong and selective binding to the c-myc gene promoter i-motif. G59 had an i-motif-binding carbazole moiety conjugated with naphthalimide fluorescent groups. G59 could differentiate the c-myc i-motif from other DNA structures through selective activation of its fluorescence, with its apparent visualization in solution. The smart probe G59 showed excellent sensitivity, with a low fluorescent detection limit of 154 nM and effective stabilization to the c-myc i-motif. G59 could serve as a rapid and sensitive probe for label-free screening of selective c-myc i-motif binding ligands under neutral crowding conditions. To the best of our knowledge, G59 is the first fluorescent probe with high sensitivity for recognizing the i-motif structure and screening for selective binding ligands.

Stability and context of intercalated motifs (i-motifs) for biological applications

DNA is naturally dynamic and can self-assemble into alternative secondary structures including the intercalated motif (i-motif), a four-stranded structure formed in cytosine-rich DNA sequences. Until recently, i-motifs were thought to be unstable in physiological cellular environments. Studies demonstrating their existence in the human genome and role in gene regulation are now shining light on their biological relevance. Herein, we review the effects of epigenetic modifications on i-motif structure and stability, and biological factors that affect i-motif formation within cells. Furthermore, we highlight recent progress in targeting i-motifs with structure-specific ligands for biotechnology and therapeutic purposes.

Genome-wide characterization of i-motifs and their potential roles in the stability and evolution of transposable elements in rice

I-motifs (iMs) are non-canonical DNA secondary structures that fold from cytosine (C)-rich genomic DNA regions termed putative i-motif forming sequences (PiMFSs). The structure of iMs is stabilized by hemiprotonated C-C base pairs, and their functions are now suspected in key cellular processes in human cells such as genome stability and regulation of gene transcription. In plants, their biological relevance is still largely unknown. Here, we characterized PiMFSs with high potential for i-motif formation in the rice genome by developing and applying a protocol hinging on an iMab antibody-based immunoprecipitation (IP) coupled with high-throughput sequencing (seq), consequently termed iM-IP-seq. We found that PiMFSs had intrinsic subgenomic distributions, cis-regulatory functions and an intricate relationship with DNA methylation. We indeed found that the coordination of PiMFSs with DNA methylation may affect dynamics of transposable elements (TEs) among different cultivated Oryza subpopulations or during evolution of wild rice species. Collectively, our study provides first and unique insights into the biology of iMs in plants, with potential applications in plant biotechnology for improving important agronomic rice traits.

Chemical Modulation of DNA Replication along G-Quadruplex Based on Topology-Dependent Ligand Binding

Ligands that bind to and stabilize guanine-quadruplex (G4) structures to regulate DNA replication have therapeutic potential for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Because there are several G4 topologies, ligands that bind to their specific types may have the ability to preferentially regulate the replication of only certain genes. Here, we demonstrated that binding ligands stalled the replication of template DNA at G4, depending on different topologies. For example, naphthalene diimide derivatives bound to the G-quartet of G4 with an additional interaction between the ligand and the loop region of a hybrid G4 type from human telomeres, which efficiently repressed the replication of the G4. Thus, these inhibitory effects were not only stability-dependent but also topology-selective based on the manner in which G4 structures interacted with G4 ligands. Our original method, referred to as a quantitative study of topology-dependent replication (QSTR), was developed to evaluate correlations between replication rate and G4 stability. QSTR enabled the systematic categorization of ligands based on topology-dependent binding. It also demonstrated accuracy in determining quantitatively how G4 ligands control the intermediate state of replication and the kinetics of G4 unwinding. Hence, the QSTR index would facilitate the design of new drugs capable of controlling the topology-dependent regulation of gene expression.

Insights from Binding on Quadruplex Selective Carbazole Ligands

Polymorphic G-quadruplex (G4) secondary DNA structures have received increasing attention in medicinal chemistry owing to their key involvement in the regulation of the maintenance of genomic stability, telomere length homeostasis and transcription of important proto-oncogenes. Different classes of G4 ligands have been developed for the potential treatment of several human diseases. Among them, the carbazole scaffold with appropriate side chain appendages has attracted much interest for designing G4 ligands. Because of its large and rigid π-conjugation system and ease of functionalization at three different positions, a variety of carbazole derivatives have been synthesized from various natural or synthetic sources for potential applications in G4-based therapeutics and biosensors. Herein, we provide an updated close-up of the literatures on carbazole-based G4 ligands with particular focus given on their detailed binding insights studied by NMR spectroscopy. The structure-activity relationships and the opportunities and challenges of their potential applications as biosensors and therapeutics are also discussed. This review will provide an overall picture of carbazole ligands with remarkable G4 topological preference, fluorescence properties and significant bioactivity; portraying carbazole as a very promising scaffold for assembling G4 ligands with a range of novel functional applications.

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.

Supramolecular Template-Directed In Situ Click Chemistry: A Bioinspired Approach to Synthesize G-Quadruplex DNA Ligands

The assembly of guanosine and boronic acids produces anionic hydrogels (G-B hydrogels) that mimic the topology of the DNA G-quadruplex. We herein demonstrate an unconventional approach of using the G-B hydrogel as a supramolecular template that assembles the irreversible formation of DNA G-quadruplex-selective 1,4-triazole ligands from a pool of alkyne-azide building blocks. These generated ligands could also stabilize and strengthen the gel assembly.

A DNA nanosensor for monitoring ligand-induced i-motif formation

A GNP-based DNA nanosensor has been developed that identifies i-motif inducing ligands at physiological pH from a chemical library.

Prolinamide plays a key role in promoting copper-catalyzed cycloaddition of azides and alkynes in aqueous media via unprecedented metallacycle intermediates

Room temperature copper-catalyzed cycloaddition of azides and alkynes (CuAAC) proceeds in the presence of a prolinamide ligand in aqueous media via unique metallacycles.

Concatenating Suzuki Arylation and Buchwald-Hartwig Amination by A Sequentially Pd-Catalyzed One-Pot Process-Consecutive Three-Component Synthesis of C,N-Diarylated Heterocycles

The concatenation of Suzuki coupling and Buchwald‐Hartwig amination in a consecutive multicomponent reaction opens a concise, modular and efficient one‐pot approach to diversely functionalized heterocycles, as exemplified for 3,10‐diaryl 10H‐phenothiazines, 3,9‐diaryl 9H‐carbazoles, and 1,5‐diaryl 1H‐indoles, in high yields starting from simple staring materials. Moreover, this one‐pot reaction is a sequentially palladium‐catalyzed process that does not require additional catalyst loading after the first coupling step.

Breakthroughs in Medicinal Chemistry: New Targets and Mechanisms, New Drugs, New Hopes-7

Breakthroughs in Medicinal Chemistry [...].