1
|
Kalra S, Donnelly A, Singh N, Matthews D, Del Villar-Guerra R, Bemmer V, Dominguez C, Allcock N, Cherny D, Revyakin A, Rusling DA. Functionalizing DNA Origami by Triplex-Directed Site-Specific Photo-Cross-Linking. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:13617-13628. [PMID: 38695163 PMCID: PMC11100008 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c03413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Here, we present a cross-linking approach to covalently functionalize and stabilize DNA origami structures in a one-pot reaction. Our strategy involves adding nucleotide sequences to adjacent staple strands, so that, upon assembly of the origami structure, the extensions form short hairpin duplexes targetable by psoralen-labeled triplex-forming oligonucleotides bearing other functional groups (pso-TFOs). Subsequent irradiation with UVA light generates psoralen adducts with one or both hairpin staples leading to site-specific attachment of the pso-TFO (and attached group) to the origami with ca. 80% efficiency. Bis-adduct formation between strands in proximal hairpins further tethers the TFO to the structure and generates "superstaples" that improve the structural integrity of the functionalized complex. We show that directing cross-linking to regions outside of the origami core dramatically reduces sensitivity of the structures to thermal denaturation and disassembly by T7 RNA polymerase. We also show that the underlying duplex regions of the origami core are digested by DNase I and thus remain accessible to read-out by DNA-binding proteins. Our strategy is scalable and cost-effective, as it works with existing DNA origami structures, does not require scaffold redesign, and can be achieved with just one psoralen-modified oligonucleotide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shantam Kalra
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, and Leicester Institute of Chemical
Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K.
| | - Amber Donnelly
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, and Leicester Institute of Chemical
Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K.
| | - Nishtha Singh
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, and Leicester Institute of Chemical
Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K.
| | - Daniel Matthews
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, and Leicester Institute of Chemical
Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K.
| | - Rafael Del Villar-Guerra
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, and Leicester Institute of Chemical
Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K.
| | - Victoria Bemmer
- Centre
for Enzyme Innovation, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO1 2DY, U.K.
| | - Cyril Dominguez
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, and Leicester Institute of Chemical
Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K.
| | - Natalie Allcock
- Core
Biotechnology Services Electron Microscopy Facility, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K.
| | - Dmitry Cherny
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, and Leicester Institute of Chemical
Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K.
| | - Andrey Revyakin
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, and Leicester Institute of Chemical
Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K.
| | - David A. Rusling
- School
of Medicine, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, U.K.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hennessy J, Klimkowski P, Singleton D, Gibney A, Coche M, Farrell NP, El-Sagheer AH, Brown T, Kellett A. Thiazole orange-carboplatin triplex-forming oligonucleotide (TFO) combination probes enhance targeted DNA crosslinking. RSC Med Chem 2024; 15:485-491. [PMID: 38389892 PMCID: PMC10880910 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00548h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
We report a new class of carboplatin-TFO hybrid that incorporates a bifunctional alkyne-amine nucleobase monomer called AP-C3-dT that enables dual 'click' platinum(ii) drug conjugation and thiazole orange fluorophore coupling. Thiazole orange enhances the binding of Pt(ii)-TFO hybrids and provides an intrinsic method for monitoring triplex formation. These hybrid constructs possess increased stabilisation and crosslinking properties in comparison to earlier Pt(ii)-TFOs, and demonstrate sequence-specific binding at neutral pH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Hennessy
- SSPC, The Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals, School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University Glasnevin Dublin 9 Ireland
| | - Piotr Klimkowski
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford 12 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Daniel Singleton
- ATDBio Ltd., School of Chemistry, University of Southampton Southampton SO17 1BJ UK
| | - Alex Gibney
- SSPC, The Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals, School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University Glasnevin Dublin 9 Ireland
| | - Malou Coche
- SSPC, The Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals, School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University Glasnevin Dublin 9 Ireland
| | - Nicholas P Farrell
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond VA 23284-2006 USA
| | - Afaf H El-Sagheer
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford 12 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton Southampton SO17 1BJ UK
- Department of Science and Mathematics, Faculty of Petroleum and Mining, Engineering, Suez University Suez 43721 Egypt
| | - Tom Brown
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford 12 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Andrew Kellett
- SSPC, The Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals, School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University Glasnevin Dublin 9 Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mikame Y, Yamayoshi A. Recent Advancements in Development and Therapeutic Applications of Genome-Targeting Triplex-Forming Oligonucleotides and Peptide Nucleic Acids. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2515. [PMID: 37896275 PMCID: PMC10609763 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15102515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent developments in artificial nucleic acid and drug delivery systems present possibilities for the symbiotic engineering of therapeutic oligonucleotides, such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and small interfering ribonucleic acids (siRNAs). Employing these technologies, triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) or peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) can be applied to the development of symbiotic genome-targeting tools as well as a new class of oligonucleotide drugs, which offer conceptual advantages over antisense as the antigene target generally comprises two gene copies per cell rather than multiple copies of mRNA that are being continually transcribed. Further, genome editing by TFOs or PNAs induces permanent changes in the pathological genes, thus facilitating the complete cure of diseases. Nuclease-based gene-editing tools, such as zinc fingers, CRISPR-Cas9, and TALENs, are being explored for therapeutic applications, although their potential off-target, cytotoxic, and/or immunogenic effects may hinder their in vivo applications. Therefore, this review is aimed at describing the ongoing progress in TFO and PNA technologies, which can be symbiotic genome-targeting tools that will cause a near-future paradigm shift in drug development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Mikame
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyomachi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - Asako Yamayoshi
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyomachi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ng C, Samanta A, Mandrup OA, Tsang E, Youssef S, Klausen LH, Dong M, Nijenhuis MAD, Gothelf KV. Folding Double-Stranded DNA into Designed Shapes with Triplex-Forming Oligonucleotides. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2302497. [PMID: 37311656 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202302497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The compaction and organization of genomic DNA is a central mechanism in eukaryotic cells, but engineered architectural control over double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) is notably challenging. Here, long dsDNA templates are folded into designed shapes via triplex-mediated self-assembly. Triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) bind purines in dsDNA via normal or reverse Hoogsteen interactions. In the triplex origami methodology, these non-canonical interactions are programmed to compact dsDNA (linear or plasmid) into well-defined objects, which demonstrate a variety of structural features: hollow and raster-filled, single- and multi-layered, with custom curvatures and geometries, and featuring lattice-free, square-, or honeycomb-pleated internal arrangements. Surprisingly, the length of integrated and free-standing dsDNA loops can be modulated with near-perfect efficiency; from hundreds down to only six bp (2 nm). The inherent rigidity of dsDNA promotes structural robustness and non-periodic structures of almost 25.000 nt are therefore formed with fewer unique starting materials, compared to other DNA-based self-assembly methods. Densely triplexed structures also resist degradation by DNase I. Triplex-mediated dsDNA folding is methodologically straightforward and orthogonal to Watson-Crick-based methods. Moreover, it enables unprecedented spatial control over dsDNA templates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Ng
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| | - Anirban Samanta
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| | - Ole Aalund Mandrup
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| | - Emily Tsang
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| | - Sarah Youssef
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| | - Lasse Hyldgaard Klausen
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| | - Mingdong Dong
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| | - Minke A D Nijenhuis
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| | - Kurt V Gothelf
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, 8000, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Xie Z, Zhang S, Wu Y, Liang J, Yao W, Qu R, Tong X, Zhang G, Yang H. Interaction of isoquinoline alkaloids with pyrimidine motif triplex DNA by mass spectrometry and spectroscopies reveals diverse mechanisms. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14954. [PMID: 37082631 PMCID: PMC10112036 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Isoquinoline alkaloids represent an important class of molecules due to their broad range of pharmacology and clinical utility. Prospective development and use of these alkaloids as effective anticancer agents have elicited great interest. In this study, in order to reveal structure-activity relationship, we present the characterization of bioactive isoquinoline alkaloid-DNA triplex interactions, with particular emphasis on the sequence selectivity and preference of binding to the two types of DNA triplexes, by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and various spectroscopic techniques. The six alkaloids, including coptisine, columbamine, epiberberine, berberrubine, jateorhizine, and fangchinoline, were selected to explore their interactions with the TC and TTT triplex DNA structures. Berberrubine, fangchinoline, coptisine, columbamine, and epiberberine have preference for TC rich DNA sequences compared to TTT rich DNA triplex based on affinity values in MS. The experimental results from different fragmentation modes in tandem MS, subtractive and hyperchromic effects in UV absorption spectra, fluorescence quenching and enhancement in fluorescence spectra, and strong conformational changes in circular dichroism (CD) hinted that the interaction between isoquinoline alkaloid-TC/TTT DNA had diverse mechanisms including at least two different binding modes: the electrostatic binding and the intercalation binding. Interestingly, columbamine, berberrubine, and fangchinoline can stabilize TTT triplex as inferred from optical thermal melting profiles, while it was not the case in TC triplex. These results provide new insights into binding of isoquinoline alkaloids to pyrimidine motif triplex DNA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoyang Xie
- Northeast Asia Institute of Chinese Medicine, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Sunuo Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Yi Wu
- Northeast Asia Institute of Chinese Medicine, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Jinling Liang
- College of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, China
| | - Wenbin Yao
- College of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, China
| | - Ruoning Qu
- China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130033, China
| | - Xiaole Tong
- Jilin Jian Yisheng Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Jian, 134200, China
| | - Guang Zhang
- China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130033, China
- Corresponding author.
| | - Hongmei Yang
- Northeast Asia Institute of Chinese Medicine, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130021, China
- Corresponding author.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Li C, Zhou Z, Ren C, Deng Y, Peng F, Wang Q, Zhang H, Jiang Y. Triplex-forming oligonucleotides as an anti-gene technique for cancer therapy. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1007723. [PMID: 36618947 PMCID: PMC9811266 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1007723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) can bind to the major groove of double-stranded DNA with high specificity and affinity and inhibit gene expression. Triplex-forming oligonucleotides have gained prominence because of their potential applications in antigene therapy. In particular, the target specificity of triplex-forming oligonucleotides combined with their ability to suppress oncogene expression has driven their development as anti-cancer agents. So far, triplex-forming oligonucleotides have not been used for clinical treatment and seem to be gradually snubbed in recent years. But triplex-forming oligonucleotides still represent an approach to down-regulate the expression of the target gene and a carrier of active substances. Therefore, in the present review, we will introduce the characteristics of triplex-forming oligonucleotides and their anti-cancer research progress. Then, we will discuss the challenges in their application.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chun Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Mianyang Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, China
| | - Zunzhen Zhou
- Clinical Medical College and The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Chao Ren
- Clinical Medical College and The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Deng
- Clinical Medical College and The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Feng Peng
- Clinical Medical College and The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiongfen Wang
- Clinical Medical College and The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China,*Correspondence: Hong Zhang, ; Yuan Jiang,
| | - Yuan Jiang
- Clinical Medical College and The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China,*Correspondence: Hong Zhang, ; Yuan Jiang,
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Fu Y, Si H, Chen J, Zhang W, Feng S, Xiao Z. A Novel “Turn‐On” Fluorescent Sensor for Screening Triplex DNA Binder Based upon Molecular Beacon. ChemistrySelect 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202203178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanxiang Fu
- School of Chemical Engineering Guizhou Institute of Technology 1st, Caiguan Road Guiyang 550003 P. R. China
| | - Hengdan Si
- School of Chemical Engineering Guizhou Institute of Technology 1st, Caiguan Road Guiyang 550003 P. R. China
| | - Juan Chen
- School of Chemical Engineering Guizhou Institute of Technology 1st, Caiguan Road Guiyang 550003 P. R. China
| | - Wenjuan Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering Guizhou Institute of Technology 1st, Caiguan Road Guiyang 550003 P. R. China
| | - Shuang Feng
- School of Chemical Engineering Guizhou Institute of Technology 1st, Caiguan Road Guiyang 550003 P. R. China
| | - Zhiyou Xiao
- School of Chemical Engineering Guizhou Institute of Technology 1st, Caiguan Road Guiyang 550003 P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Sun L, Cao B, Liu Y, Shi P, Zheng Y, Wang B, Zhang Q. TripDesign: A DNA Triplex Design Approach Based on Interaction Forces. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:8708-8719. [PMID: 36260921 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
A DNA triplex has the advantages of improved nanostructure stability and pH environment responsiveness compared with single-stranded and double-stranded nucleic acids. However, sequence stability and low design efficiency hinder the application of DNA triplexes. Therefore, a DNA triplex design approach (TripDesign) based on interaction forces is proposed. First, we present the stacking force constraint, torsional stress constraint, and G-quadruplex motif constraint and then use an improved memetic algorithm to design triplex sequences under combinatorial constraints. Finally, to quantify the process of triplex formation, we also explore the minimum length of the triplex-forming oligos (TFOs) required to form the triplex and the factors that produce depletion in cyclic pH-jump experiments. The experimental results show that the sequences produced by TripDesign have high stability and reversibility, and the proposed approach achieves efficient and automatic sequence design. In addition, this study characterizes multiple basic parameters of DNA triplex formation and promotes the wider application of DNA triplexes in nanotechnology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Sun
- The Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Intelligent Computing, Ministry of Education, School of Software Engineering, Dalian University, Dalian116622, China
| | - Ben Cao
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian116024, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian116024, China
| | - Peijun Shi
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian116024, China
| | - Yanfen Zheng
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian116024, China
| | - Bin Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Intelligent Computing, Ministry of Education, School of Software Engineering, Dalian University, Dalian116622, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Intelligent Computing, Ministry of Education, School of Software Engineering, Dalian University, Dalian116622, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Dalla Pozza M, Abdullrahman A, Cardin CJ, Gasser G, Hall JP. Three's a crowd - stabilisation, structure, and applications of DNA triplexes. Chem Sci 2022; 13:10193-10215. [PMID: 36277639 PMCID: PMC9473520 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc01793h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA is a strikingly flexible molecule and can form a variety of secondary structures, including the triple helix, which is the subject of this review. The DNA triplex may be formed naturally, during homologous recombination, or can be formed by the introduction of a synthetic triplex forming oligonucleotide (TFO) to a DNA duplex. As the TFO will bind to the duplex with sequence specificity, there is significant interest in developing TFOs with potential therapeutic applications, including using TFOs as a delivery mechanism for compounds able to modify or damage DNA. However, to combine triplexes with functionalised compounds, a full understanding of triplex structure and chemical modification strategies, which may increase triplex stability or in vivo degradation, is essential - these areas will be discussed in this review. Ruthenium polypyridyl complexes, which are able to photooxidise DNA and act as luminescent DNA probes, may serve as a suitable photophysical payload for a TFO system and the developments in this area in the context of DNA triplexes will also be reviewed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Dalla Pozza
- Chimie ParisTech, PSL University, CNRS, Institute of Chemistry for Life and Health Sciences, Laboratory for Inorganic Chemical Biology F-75005 Paris France www.gassergroup.com
| | - Ahmad Abdullrahman
- Department of Pharmacy, Chemistry and Pharmacy Building, University of Reading Whiteknights Campus Reading Berkshire RG6 6AD UK
| | - Christine J Cardin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Reading Whiteknights Reading RG6 6AD UK
| | - Gilles Gasser
- Chimie ParisTech, PSL University, CNRS, Institute of Chemistry for Life and Health Sciences, Laboratory for Inorganic Chemical Biology F-75005 Paris France www.gassergroup.com
| | - James P Hall
- Department of Pharmacy, Chemistry and Pharmacy Building, University of Reading Whiteknights Campus Reading Berkshire RG6 6AD UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
McGorman B, Fantoni NZ, O'Carroll S, Ziemele A, El-Sagheer AH, Brown T, Kellett A. Enzymatic Synthesis of Chemical Nuclease Triplex-Forming Oligonucleotides with Gene-Silencing Applications. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:5467-5481. [PMID: 35640595 PMCID: PMC9177962 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) are short, single-stranded oligomers that hybridise to a specific sequence of duplex DNA. TFOs can block transcription and thereby inhibit protein production, making them highly appealing in the field of antigene therapeutics. In this work, a primer extension protocol was developed to enzymatically prepare chemical nuclease TFO hybrid constructs, with gene-silencing applications. Click chemistry was employed to generate novel artificial metallo-nuclease (AMN)-dNTPs, which were selectively incorporated into the TFO strand by a DNA polymerase. This purely enzymatic protocol was then extended to facilitate the construction of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) modified TFOs that displayed increased thermal stability. The utility of the enzymatically synthesised di-(2-picolyl)amine (DPA)-TFOs was assessed and compared to a specifically prepared solid-phase synthesis counterpart through gel electrophoresis, quantitative PCR, and Sanger sequencing, which revealed similar recognition and damage properties to target genes. The specificity was then enhanced through coordinated designer intercalators-DPQ and DPPZ-and high-precision DNA cleavage was achieved. To our knowledge, this is the first example of the enzymatic production of an AMN-TFO hybrid and is the largest base modification incorporated using this method. These results indicate how chemical nuclease-TFOs may overcome limitations associated with non-molecularly targeted metallodrugs and open new avenues for artificial gene-editing technology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bríonna McGorman
- School of Chemical Sciences and National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Nicolò Zuin Fantoni
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, UK
| | - Sinéad O'Carroll
- School of Chemical Sciences and National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Anna Ziemele
- School of Chemical Sciences and National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Afaf H El-Sagheer
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, UK.,Department of Science and Mathematics, Suez University, Faculty of Petroleum and Mining, Engineering, Suez 43721, Egypt
| | - Tom Brown
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, UK
| | - Andrew Kellett
- School of Chemical Sciences and National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland.,SSPC, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals, School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|