1
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Benigno D, Navarro N, Aviñó A, Esposito V, Galeone A, Virgilio A, Fàbrega C, Eritja R. Aptamer-Drug conjugates for a targeted and synergistic anticancer Response: Exploiting T30923-5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (INT-FdU) derivatives. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2024; 201:114354. [PMID: 38852755 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2024.114354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
One of the most appealing approaches for cancer treatment is targeted therapy, which is based on the use of drugs able to target cancer cells without affecting normal ones. This strategy lets to overcome the major limitation of conventional chemotherapy, namely the lack of specificity of anticancer drugs, which often leads to severe side effects, decreasing the therapy effectiveness. Delivery of cell-killing substances to tumor cells is one-way targeted drug therapy can work. Generally, monoclonal antibodies are combined with chemotherapeutic drugs, allowing cellular uptake through the binding to their targets on the surface of cancer cells. Aptamer-drug conjugates represent a promising alternative solution to antibodies to minimize off-target effects, considering the remarkable selective binding capabilities of aptamers. In this study, to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of the antineoplastic agent 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FdU) in various cancer cells, we focused on the development of a novel conjugate using the antiproliferative aptamer T30923 (INT) as a drug vehicle. Three derivatives composed of T30923 conjugated with a different number of FdU units were synthesized, and their structural and biological properties were thoroughly characterized, highlighting their potential for targeted and synergistic anticancer responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Benigno
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli 80131, Italy
| | - Natalia Navarro
- Nucleic Acids Chemistry Group, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona 08034, Spain; Nucleic Acids Chemistry Group, Networking Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Anna Aviñó
- Nucleic Acids Chemistry Group, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona 08034, Spain; Nucleic Acids Chemistry Group, Networking Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Veronica Esposito
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli 80131, Italy
| | - Aldo Galeone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli 80131, Italy
| | - Antonella Virgilio
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli 80131, Italy.
| | - Carme Fàbrega
- Nucleic Acids Chemistry Group, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona 08034, Spain; Nucleic Acids Chemistry Group, Networking Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona 08034, Spain.
| | - Ramon Eritja
- Nucleic Acids Chemistry Group, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona 08034, Spain; Nucleic Acids Chemistry Group, Networking Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona 08034, Spain.
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2
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Kawamoto Y, Wu Y, Park S, Hidaka K, Sugiyama H, Takahashi Y, Takakura Y. Multivalent dendritic DNA aptamer molecules for the enhancement of therapeutic effects. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024; 60:6256-6259. [PMID: 38768325 DOI: 10.1039/d4cc00578c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Dendritic DNA molecules, referred to as DNA dendrons, consist of multiple covalently linked strands and are expected to improve the cellular uptake and potency of therapeutic oligonucleotides because of their multivalency. In this study, we developed an efficient synthetic method for producing DNA dendrons using strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition. Integration of the antitumor aptamer AS1411 into DNA dendrons enhanced cellular uptake and antiproliferative activity in cancer cells. These findings demonstrate that the incorporation of multivalent aptamers into DNA dendrons can effectively boost their therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Kawamoto
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Drug Metabolism, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida-shimoadachicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
| | - You Wu
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Drug Metabolism, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida-shimoadachicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
| | - Soyoung Park
- Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kumi Hidaka
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Sugiyama
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), Kyoto University, Yoshida-ushinomiyacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yuki Takahashi
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Drug Metabolism, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida-shimoadachicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
| | - Yoshinobu Takakura
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Drug Metabolism, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida-shimoadachicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
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3
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Ngo KH, Liew CW, Heddi B, Phan AT. Structural Basis for Parallel G-Quadruplex Recognition by an Ankyrin Protein. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:13709-13713. [PMID: 38738955 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c01971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
G-Quadruplex (G4) structures formed by guanine-rich DNA and RNA sequences are implicated in various biological processes. Understanding the mechanisms by which proteins recognize G4 structures is crucial for elucidating their functional roles. Here we present the X-ray crystal structure of an ankyrin protein bound to a parallel G4 structure. Our findings reveal a new specific recognition mode in which a bundle of α-helices and loops of the ankyrin form a flat surface to stack on the G-tetrad core. The protein employs a combination of hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic contacts to interact with the G4, and electrostatic interaction is used to enhance the binding affinity. This binding mechanism provides valuable insights into understanding G4 recognition by proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khac Huy Ngo
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore
| | - Chong Wai Liew
- NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore
| | - Brahim Heddi
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée (LBPA), UMR8113 CNRS, ENS Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette 91190, France
| | - Anh Tuân Phan
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore
- NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore
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4
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Zhu Y, Li X, Zhang Q, Yang X, Sun X, Pan Y, Yuan X, Ma Y, Xu B, Yang Z. Aptamer AS411 interacts with the KRAS promoter/hnRNP A1 complex and shows increased potency against drug-resistant lung cancer. RSC Med Chem 2024; 15:1515-1526. [PMID: 38784467 PMCID: PMC11110790 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00752a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplex (G4) aptamers that can competitively binding protein with oncogene promoter G4 hold promise for cancer treatment. In this study, a neutral cytidinyl lipid, DNCA, was shown to transfect and deliver G4 aptamers (AS1411, TBA) into tumour cells, including multidrug-resistant tumour cells, and their nuclear localizations were clearly detected. Both AS1411/DNCA and TBA/DNCA showed excellent antitumour efficacies in the drug-resistant non-small cell lung cancer cell line A549/TXL at a low concentration (100 nM). Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 (hnRNP A1) was identified as a new target of AS1411 and TBA. The binding affinities were measured, and the Kd values of AS1411/hnRNP A1 and TBA/hnRNP A1 were 17.5 nM and 21.1 nM, respectively. Then the expression of KRAS mRNA in A549/TXL cells was found to be higher than that in A549 cells, and KRAS mRNA was reduced by approximately 40% after administration of AS1411 or TBA in A549/TXL cells. Further, it was confirmed for the first time that AS1411 targeted not only hnRNP A1 but also the KRAS promoter/hnRNP A1 complexes. And although TBA cannot target the KRAS promoter/hnRNP A1 complexes, the biolayer interferometry (BLI) experiment showed that TBA and AS1411 have similar effects on several key proteins in tumour cells, especially hnRNP A1. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation showed that AS1411 and the KRAS promoter bound to the same domain of hnRNP A1 protein, while TBA bound to another domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuejie Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University Beijing 100191 China +86 10 82802503 +86 10 82802503
| | - Xiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University Beijing 100191 China +86 10 82802503 +86 10 82802503
| | - Qi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University Beijing 100191 China +86 10 82802503 +86 10 82802503
| | - Xiantao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University Beijing 100191 China +86 10 82802503 +86 10 82802503
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu Medical College 783 Xindu Avenue, Xindu District Chengdu 610500 China
| | - Xudong Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University Beijing 100191 China +86 10 82802503 +86 10 82802503
| | - Yi Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University Beijing 100191 China +86 10 82802503 +86 10 82802503
| | - Xia Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University Beijing 100191 China +86 10 82802503 +86 10 82802503
| | - Yuan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University Beijing 100191 China +86 10 82802503 +86 10 82802503
| | - Bo Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University Beijing 100191 China +86 10 82802503 +86 10 82802503
| | - Zhenjun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University Beijing 100191 China +86 10 82802503 +86 10 82802503
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5
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Riccardi C, Pérez de Carvasal K, Platella C, Meyer A, Smietana M, Morvan F, Montesarchio D. Probing naphthalene diimide and 3-hydroxypropylphosphate as end-conjugating moieties for improved thrombin binding aptamers: Structural and biological effects. Bioorg Chem 2023; 141:106917. [PMID: 37865055 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
The limitations associated with the in vivo use of the thrombin binding aptamer (TBA or TBA15) have dramatically stimulated the search of suitable chemically modified analogues in order to discover effective and reversible inhibitors of thrombin activity. In this context, we previously proposed cyclic and pseudo-cyclic TBA analogues with improved stability that proved to be more active than the parent aptamer. Herein, we have investigated a novel library of TBA derivatives carrying naphthalene diimide (NDI) moieties at the 3'- or 5'-end. In a subset of the investigated oligonucleotides, additional 3-hydroxypropylphosphate (HPP) groups were introduced at one or both ends of the TBA sequence. Evaluation of the G-quadruplex thermal stability, serum nuclease resistance and in vitro anticoagulant activity of the new TBA analogues allowed rationalizing the effect of these appendages on the activity of the aptamer on the basis of their relative position. Notably, most of the different TBA analogues tested were more potent thrombin inhibitors than unmodified TBA. Particularly, the analogue carrying an NDI group at the 5'-end and an HPP group at the 3'-end, named N-TBA-p, exhibited enhanced G-quadruplex thermal stability (ΔTm + 14° C) and ca. 10-fold improved nuclease resistance in serum compared to the native aptamer. N-TBA-p also induced prolonged and dose-dependent clotting times, showing a ca. 11-fold higher anticoagulant activity compared to unmodified TBA, as determined by spectroscopic methods. Overall, N-TBA-p proved to be in vitro a more efficient thrombin inhibitor than all the best ones previously investigated in our group. Its interesting features, associated with its easy preparation, make it a very promising candidate for future in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Riccardi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Kévan Pérez de Carvasal
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Chiara Platella
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Albert Meyer
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Michael Smietana
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - François Morvan
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34095 Montpellier, France.
| | - Daniela Montesarchio
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy.
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6
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Ling X, Yao Y, Ding L, Ma J. The mechanism of UP1 binding and unfolding of human telomeric DNA G-quadruplex. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2023; 1866:194985. [PMID: 37717939 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2023.194985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
The human telomere contains multiple copies of the DNA sequence d(TTAGGG) which can fold into higher order intramolecular G-quadruplexes and regulate the maintenance of telomere length and chromosomal integrity. The nucleic acid binding protein heteronuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 (hnRNP A1) and its N-terminus proteolytic product UP1 have been shown to efficiently bind and unfold telomeric DNA G-quadruplex. However, the understanding of the molecular mechanism of the UP1 binding and unfolding telomeric G-quadruplexes is still limited. Here, we performed biochemical and biophysical characterizations of UP1 binding and unfolding of human telomeric DNA G-quadruplex d[AGGG(TTAGGG)3], and in combination of systematic site-direct mutagenesis of two tandem RNA recognition motifs (RRMs) in UP1, revealed that RRM1 is responsible for initial binding and unfolding, whereas RRM2 assists RRM1 to complete the unfolding of G-quadruplex. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and circular dichroism (CD) studies of the interactions between UP1 and DNA G-quadruplex variants indicate that the "TAG" binding motif in Loop2 of telomeric G-quadruplex is critical for UP1 recognition and G-quadruplex unfolding initiation. Together we depict a model for molecular mechanism of hnRNP A1 (UP1) binding and unfolding of the human telomeric DNA G-quadruplex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobin Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yuqi Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Lei Ding
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States of America
| | - Jinbiao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China.
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7
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D'Anna L, Miclot T, Bignon E, Perricone U, Barone G, Monari A, Terenzi A. Resolving a guanine-quadruplex structure in the SARS-CoV-2 genome through circular dichroism and multiscale molecular modeling. Chem Sci 2023; 14:11332-11339. [PMID: 37886086 PMCID: PMC10599604 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc04004f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The genome of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is made up of a single-stranded RNA fragment that can assume a specific secondary structure, whose stability can influence the virus's ability to reproduce. Recent studies have identified putative guanine quadruplex sequences in SARS-CoV-2 genome fragments that are involved in coding for both structural and non-structural proteins. In this contribution, we focus on a specific G-rich sequence referred to as RG-2, which codes for the non-structural protein 10 (Nsp10) and assumes a guanine-quadruplex (G4) arrangement. We provide the secondary structure of RG-2 G4 at atomistic resolution by molecular modeling and simulation, validated by the superposition of experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism spectra. Through both experimental and simulation approaches, we have demonstrated that pyridostatin (PDS), a widely recognized G4 binder, can bind to and stabilize RG-2 G4 more strongly than RG-1, another G4 forming sequence that was previously proposed as a potential target for antiviral drug candidates. Overall, this study highlights RG-2 as a valuable target to inhibit the translation and replication of SARS-CoV-2, paving the way towards original therapeutic approaches against emerging RNA viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa D'Anna
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Palermo Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 17 90128 Palermo Italy
| | - Tom Miclot
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Palermo Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 17 90128 Palermo Italy
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS UMR 7019 LPCT F-54000 Nancy France
| | | | - Ugo Perricone
- Fondazione Ri.MED Via Filippo Marini 14 90128 Palermo Italy
| | - Giampaolo Barone
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Palermo Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 17 90128 Palermo Italy
| | - Antonio Monari
- Université Paris Cité and CNRS, ITODYS F-75006 Paris France
| | - Alessio Terenzi
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Palermo Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 17 90128 Palermo Italy
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Virgilio A, Benigno D, Aliberti C, Vellecco V, Bucci M, Esposito V, Galeone A. Improving the Biological Properties of Thrombin-Binding Aptamer by Incorporation of 8-Bromo-2'-Deoxyguanosine and 2'-Substituted RNA Analogues. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15529. [PMID: 37958511 PMCID: PMC10647374 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA) is one of the best-known G-quadruplex (G4)-forming aptamers. By adopting its peculiar chair-like G4 structure, TBA can efficiently bind to thrombin, thus producing an anticoagulant effect. The major limit to its therapeutic application is represented by its poor thermal and biological resistance. Therefore, numerous research studies have been focused on the design of TBA analogues with chemical modifications to improve its pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. To maintain the functional recognition to protein surface on which TBA anticoagulant activity depends, it is essential to preserve the canonical antiparallel topology of the TBA quadruplex core. In this paper, we have designed three TBA variants with modified G-tetrads to evaluate the effects of nucleobase and sugar moiety chemical modifications on biological properties of TBA, preserving its chair-like G-quadruplex structure. All derivatives contain 8-bromo-2'-deoxyguanosine (GBr) in syn positions, while in the anti-positions, locked nucleic acid guanosine (GLNA) in the analogue TBABL, 2'-O-methylguanosine (GOMe) in TBABM, and 2'-F-riboguanosine (GF) in TBABF is present. CD (Circular Dichroism), CD melting, 1H-NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance), and non-denaturing PAGE (Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis), nuclease stability, prothrombin time (PT) and fibrinogen-clotting assays have been performed to investigate the structural and biological properties of these TBA analogues. The most interesting results have been obtained with TBABF, which revealed extraordinary thermal stability (Tm approximately 40 °C higher than that of TBA), anticoagulant activity almost doubled compared to the original aptamer, and, above all, a never-observed resistance to nucleases, as 50% of its G4 species was still present in 50% FBS at 24 h. These data indicate TBABF as one of the best TBA analogue ever designed and investigated, to the best of our knowledge, overcoming the main limitations to therapeutic applications of this aptamer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Veronica Esposito
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (A.V.); (D.B.); (V.V.); (M.B.); (A.G.)
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Sharma P, Jha NS. Mechanistic aspects of binding of telomeric over parallel G-quadruplex with novel synthesized Knoevenagel condensate 4-nitrobenzylidene curcumin. J Mol Recognit 2023; 36:e3041. [PMID: 37210661 DOI: 10.1002/jmr.3041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The introduction of small ligands to stabilise G-quadruplex DNA structures is a promising method for developing anti-cancer drugs. It is challenging to stabilise the G-quadruplex structure, which can take on a variety of topologies and is known to inhibit specific biological processes. To achieve this, 4-nitrobenzylidene curcumin (NBC), the Knoevenagel condensate of curcumin, was synthesized and characterized. The interaction of 4-nitrobenzylidene curcumin with parallel (c-MYC) and hybrid (H-telo) G-quadruplex structures was studied by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, UV-thermal melting, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and docking studies. The outcome demonstrates that, in a K+ -rich solution, the ligand NBC can stabilise the parallel c-MYC and hybrid H-telo G-quadruplex structures by 5°C. The absorption and fluorescence studies show that the ligand NBC binds to c-MYC and H-telo with affinities of 0.3 × 106 M-1 and 0.6 × 106 M-1 , respectively. The ligand interacts with the terminal G-quartet of the quadruplex structure via intercalation and the groove mode of binding, well supported by docking studies as well. NBC has more potent antioxidant activity as compared to the curcumin and 4-nitro benzaldehyde. It was also found to have higher cytotoxic activity towards cell line such as HeLa and MCF-7, while less cytotoxic for healthy Vero cells. Overall, the results show that the Knoevenagel product of curcumin can work better as a G-quadruplex binder and could be used as a possible treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Padma Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Patna, India
| | - Niki Sweta Jha
- Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Patna, India
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10
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Liu H, Yang X, Huang B, Liu H. A universal approach for synthesis of copper nanoclusters templated by G-rich oligonucleotide sequences and their applications in sensing. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2023; 297:122740. [PMID: 37080047 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2023.122740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Herein, five common G4 sequences have been selected, including three different length of telomere DNA, hemin aptamer, and thrombin aptamer, to synthesize Cu nanoclusters (Cu NCs) in-situ. All G4s are proper templates for Cu NCs with low temperature treatment. The particles (G4-Cu NCs) smaller than 3 nm in diameter were obtained and showed light green fluorescence. This is the first report of metal clusters templated by G4s in-situ. As proof of the concept, hemin and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were used as the targets to test whether the system can monitor the interaction between G4s and its substrate. The results suggest that G4-Cu NCs can indicate the behavior of G4 and its interaction with hemin, and sensing ALP is achieved with the aid of ATP. The linear ranges of hemin and ALP are 300-4000 nM and 10-500 U/L, respectively, and the corresponding limits of detection as low as 97 nM for hemin and 2.8 U/L for ALP. Moreover, this present system has been successfully applied for the detection of ALP in human serum samples with satisfactory recoveries. This synthesis approach is universal, and it can be easily extended to evaluating the formation of G4, or monitoring the interaction between G4 and its substrate, or selective targeting individual G4, or sensitive detection of other important biomarkers by changing template G4 sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Liu
- Department of Head and Neck Cancer Center, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital &Chongqing Cancer Institute, Chongqing 400000, China
| | - Xuliang Yang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chongqing City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing 400000, China
| | - Bo Huang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chongqing City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing 400000, China
| | - Hongxiang Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chongqing City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing 400000, China.
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11
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Properties and Potential Antiproliferative Activity of Thrombin-Binding Aptamer (TBA) Derivatives with One or Two Additional G-Tetrads. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314921. [PMID: 36499249 PMCID: PMC9736779 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we study the biological properties of two TBA analogs containing one and two extra G-tetrads, namely TBAG3 and TBAG4, respectively, and two further derivatives in which one of the small loops at the bottom (TBAG41S) or the large loop at the top (TBAG4GS) of the TBAG4 structure has been completely modified by replacing all loop residues with abasic site mimics. The therapeutical development of the TBA was hindered by its low thermodynamic and nuclease stability, while its potential as an anticancer/antiproliferative molecule is also affected by the anticoagulant activity, being a side effect in this case. In order to obtain suitable TBA analogs and to explore the involvement of specific aptamer regions in biological activity, the antiproliferative capability against DU 145 and MDAMB 231 cancer cell lines (MTT), the anticoagulant properties (PT), the biological degradability (nuclease stability assay) and nucleolin (NCL) binding ability (SPR) of the above described TBA derivatives have been tested. Interestingly, none of the TBA analogs exhibits an anticoagulant activity, while all of them show antiproliferative properties to the same extent. Furthermore, TBAG4 displays extraordinary nuclease stability and promising antiproliferative properties against breast cancer cells binding NCL efficiently. These results expand the range of G4-structures targeting NCL and the possibility of developing novel anticancer and antiviral drugs.
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12
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Development and classification of RNA aptamers for therapeutic purposes: an updated review with emphasis on cancer. Mol Cell Biochem 2022; 478:1573-1598. [DOI: 10.1007/s11010-022-04614-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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13
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Binding characterization of anthraquinone derivatives by stabilizing G-quadruplex DNA leads to an anticancerous activity. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2022; 30:648-662. [PMID: 36514353 PMCID: PMC9720492 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2022.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
G-quadruplex is a non-canonical secondary structure identified in the telomeric region and the promoter of many oncogenes. Anthraquinone derivatives, a well-known inducer of telomere disruption in malignant cells and activate the apoptotic pathway. We used biophysical and biochemical studies to confirm the interaction of synthesized anthraquinone derivatives with the human telomeric G-quadruplex sequence. The binding affinity of N-2DEA and N-1DEA are K b = 4.8 × 106 M-1 and K b = 7.6 × 105 M-1, respectively, leading to hypochroism, fluorescence quenching with minor redshift and ellipticity variations indicating ligand binding in the external groove. We found that sodium ions induced stabilization more rather than potassium ions. Molecular docking of complex demonstrates a molecule's exterior binding to a quadruplex. The investigation of ROS activity indicated that the cell initiates mortality in response to the IC50 concentration. Cellular morphology, nuclear condensation, and fragmentation were altered in the treated cell, impairing cellular function. Finally, the transcriptional regulatory study paves the way for drug design as an anti-cancer agent because of the tremendous possibilities of changing substituent groups on anthraquinones to improve efficacy and selectivity for G-quartet DNA. Our research focused on how ligand binding to telomere sequences induces oxidative stress and inhibits the growth of malignant cells.
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Williams AM, Dickson TM, Lagoa-Miguel CA, Bevilacqua PC. Biological solution conditions and flanking sequence modulate LLPS of RNA G-quadruplex structures. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 28:1197-1209. [PMID: 35760522 PMCID: PMC9380743 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079196.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Guanine-rich regions of DNA or RNA can form structures with two or more consecutive G-quartets called G-quadruplexes (GQ). Recent studies reveal the potential for these structures to aggregate in vitro. Here, we report effects of in vivo concentrations of additives-amino acids, nucleotides, and crowding agents-on the structure and solution behavior of RNAs containing GQ-forming sequences. We found that cytosine nucleotides destabilize a model GQ structure at biological salt concentrations, while free amino acids and other nucleotides do not do so to a substantial degree. We also report that the tendency of folded GQs to form droplets or to aggregate depends on the nature of flanking sequence and the presence of additives. Notably, in the presence of biological amounts of polyamines, flanking regions on the 5'-end of the RNA drive more droplet-like phase separation, while flanking regions on the 3'-end, as well as both the 5'- and 3'-ends, induce more condensed, granular structures. Finally, we provide an example of a biological sequence in the presence of polyamines and show that crowders such as PEG and dextran can selectively cause its phase separation. These findings have implications for the participation of GQS in LLPS in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M Williams
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Center for RNA Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Taylor M Dickson
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Claudia A Lagoa-Miguel
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Philip C Bevilacqua
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Center for RNA Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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Dey A, Pandav K, Nath M, Barthwal R, Prasad R. Molecular rec§ognition of telomere DNA sequence by 2, 6 anthraquinone derivatives leads to thermal stabilization and induces apoptosis in cancer cells. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 221:355-370. [PMID: 36041576 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.08.156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
According to current research, anti-cancer anthraquinones impact telomere disruption and may interact with G-quadruplex DNA that triggers signaling to apoptosis. The present study represents the biophysical investigation of oxidative stress, late apoptosis, and induced senescence among cancer cells after binding laboratory synthesized piperidine-based anthraquinone derivatives, 2, 6- Bis [(3-piperidino)acetamido)]anthracene-9,10-dione (N1P) and 2, 6-Bis [piperidino)propionamido]anthracene-9,10-dione (N2P), with G-quadruplex DNA. We employed biophysical approaches to explore the interaction of synthetic anthraquinone derivatives with quadruplex DNA sequences to influence biological activities in the presence of K+ and Na+ cations. The binding affinity for N2P and N1P are Kb = 5.8 × 106 M-1 and Kb = 1.0 × 106 M-1, respectively, leading to hypo-/hyper-chromism with 5-7 nm red shift and significant fluorescence quenching and changes in ellipticity resulting in external binding of both the ligands to G-quadruplex DNA. Ligand binding induced enhancement of thermostability of G4 DNA is greater in Na+ environment (ΔTm = 34 °C) as compared to that in K+ environment (ΔTm = 21 °C), thereby restricting telomerase binding access to telomeres. Microscopic images of treated cells indicated cellular shape, nuclear condensation, and fragmentation alterations. The findings pave the path for therapeutic research, given the great potential of modifying anthraquinone substituent groups towards improved efficacy, ROS generation, and G-quadruplex DNA selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpita Dey
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttarakhand 247667, India
| | - Kumud Pandav
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttarakhand 247667, India
| | - Mala Nath
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttarakhand 247667, India
| | - Ritu Barthwal
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttarakhand 247667, India.
| | - Ramasare Prasad
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttarakhand 247667, India.
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Liu L, Zhu L, Tong H, Su C, Wells JW, Chalikian TV. Distribution of Conformational States Adopted by DNA from the Promoter Regions of the VEGF and Bcl-2 Oncogenes. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:6654-6670. [PMID: 36001297 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c04304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We employed a previously described procedure, based on circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, to quantify the distribution of conformational states adopted by equimolar mixtures of complementary G-rich and C-rich DNA strands from the promoter regions of the VEGF and Bcl-2 oncogenes. Spectra were recorded at different pHs, concentrations of KCl, and temperatures. The temperature dependences of the fractional populations of the duplex, G-quadruplex, i-motif, and coiled conformations of each promoter were then analyzed within the framework of a thermodynamic model to obtain the enthalpy and melting temperature of each folded-to-unfolded transition involved in the equilibrium. A comparison of the conformational data on the VEGF and Bcl-2 DNA with similar results on the c-MYC DNA, which we reported previously, reveals that the distribution of conformational states depends on the specific DNA sequence and is modulated by environmental factors. Under the physiological conditions of room temperature, neutral pH, and elevated concentrations of potassium ions, the duplex conformation coexists with the G-quadruplex conformation in proportions that depend on the sequence. This observed conformational diversity has biological implications, and it further supports our previously proposed thermodynamic hypothesis of gene regulation. In that hypothesis, a specific distribution of duplex and tetraplex conformations in a promoter region is fine-tuned to maintain the healthy level of gene expression. Any deviation from a healthy distribution of conformational states may result in pathology stemming from up- or downregulation of the gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lutan Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2, Canada
| | - Legeng Zhu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2, Canada
| | - Haoyuan Tong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2, Canada
| | - Chongyu Su
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2, Canada
| | - James W Wells
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2, Canada
| | - Tigran V Chalikian
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2, Canada
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G-Quadruplex Formed by the Promoter Region of the hTERT Gene: Structure-Driven Effects on DNA Mismatch Repair Functions. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10081871. [PMID: 36009419 PMCID: PMC9405553 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are a unique class of noncanonical DNAs that play a key role in cellular processes and neoplastic transformation. Herein, we focused on the promoter region of human TERT oncogene, whose product is responsible for the immortality of cancer cells. It has been shown by chemical probing and spectroscopic methods that synthetic 96-nt DNAs modeling the wild-type G-rich strand of the hTERT promoter and its variants with G>A point substitutions corresponding to somatic driver mutations fold into three stacked parallel G4s with sites of local G4 destabilization caused by G>A substitutions in the G4 motif. These models were used to elucidate how the hTERT multiG4 affects the binding affinity and functional responses of two key proteins, MutS and MutL, involved in the initial stage of DNA mismatch repair (MMR) in Escherichiacoli and Neisseriagonorrhoeae with different MMR mechanisms. We have shown for the first time that (i) point substitutions do not affect the effective binding of these proteins to the hTERT G4 structure, and (ii) the endonuclease activity of MutL from N. gonorrhoeae is significantly suppressed by the stable G4 scaffold. It is likely that some of the genomic instability associated with G4 may be related to the blockage of human intrinsic methyl-independent MMR attempting to operate near G4 structures.
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18
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Du M, Chen Q, Xu X. A novel and label-free electrochemical aptasensor based on exonuclease III and G-quadruplex DNAzyme for sensitive and selective detection of metronidazole. Microchem J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2022.107577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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19
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Virgilio A, Pecoraro A, Benigno D, Russo A, Russo G, Esposito V, Galeone A. Antiproliferative Effects of the Aptamer d(GGGT) 4 and Its Analogues with an Abasic-Site Mimic Loop on Different Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23115952. [PMID: 35682635 PMCID: PMC9181107 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23115952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we study the T30923 antiproliferative potential and the contribution of its loop residues in six different human cancer cell lines by preparing five T30923 variants using the single residue replacement approach of loop thymidine with an abasic site mimic (S). G-rich oligonucleotides (GRO) show interesting anticancer properties because of their capability to adopt G-quadruplex structures (G4s), such as the G4 HIV-1 integrase inhibitor T30923. Considering the multi-targeted effects of G4-aptamers and the limited number of cancer cell lines tested, particularly for T30923, it should be important to find a suitable tumor line, in addition to considering that the effects also strictly depend on G4s. CD, NMR and non-denaturating polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis data clearly show that all modified ODNs closely resemble the dimeric structure of parallel G4s’ parent aptamer, keeping the resistance in biological environments substantially unchanged, as shown by nuclease stability assay. The antiproliferative effects of T30923 and its variants are tried in vitro by MTT assays, showing interesting cytotoxic activity, depending on time and dose, for all G4s, especially in MDA-MB-231 cells with a reduction in cell viability approximately up to 30%. Among all derivatives, QS12 results are the most promising, showing more pronounced cytotoxic effects both in MDA-MB-231 and Hela cells, with a decrease in cell viability from 70% to 60%. In summary, the single loop residue S substitution approach may be useful for designing antiproliferative G4s, considering that most of them, characterized by single residue loops, may be able to bind different targets in several cancer cell pathways. Generally, this approach could be of benefit by revealing some minimal functional structures, stimulating further studies aimed at the development of novel anticancer drugs.
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20
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Williams AM, Poudyal RR, Bevilacqua PC. Long Tracts of Guanines Drive Aggregation of RNA G-Quadruplexes in the Presence of Spermine. Biochemistry 2021; 60:2715-2726. [PMID: 34448586 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
G-Quadruplexes (GQs) are compact, stable structures in DNA and RNA comprised of two or more tiers of quartets whose G-rich motif of tracts of two or more G's occurs commonly within genomes and transcriptomes. While thermodynamically stable in vitro, these structures remain difficult to study in vivo. One approach to understanding GQ in vivo behavior is to test whether conditions and molecules found in cells facilitate their folding. Polyamines are biogenic polycations that interact with RNA. Among common polyamines, spermine contains the highest charge and is found in eukaryotes, making it a good candidate for association with high-charge density nucleic acid structures like GQs. Using a variety of techniques, including ultraviolet-detected thermal denaturation, circular dichroism, size exclusion chromatography, and confocal microscopy, on an array of quadruplex sequence variants, we find that eukaryotic biological concentrations of spermine induce microaggregation of three-tiered G-rich sequences, but not of purely two-tiered structures, although higher spermine concentrations induce aggregation of even these. The formation of microaggregates can also be induced by addition of as little as a single G to a two-tiered structure; moreover, they form at biological temperatures, are sensitive to salt, and can form in the presence of at least some flanking sequence. Notably, GQ aggregation is not observed under prokaryotic-like conditions of no spermine and higher NaCl concentrations. The sequence, polyamine, and salt specificity of microaggregation reported herein have implications for the formation and stability of G-rich nucleic acid aggregates in vivo and for functional roles for understudied GQ sequences with only two quadruplex tiers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M Williams
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States.,Center for RNA Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Raghav R Poudyal
- Center for RNA Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States.,Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Philip C Bevilacqua
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States.,Center for RNA Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States.,Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
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21
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Wang Y, Ye T, Yuan M, Cao H, Yu J, Yin F, Wu X, Hao L, Xu F. An aptasensor for the detection of Pb 2+ based on photoinduced electron transfer between a G-quadruplex-hemin complex and a fluorophore. LUMINESCENCE 2021; 37:14-20. [PMID: 34519153 DOI: 10.1002/bio.4141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Due to the threat to health of heavy metal contamination, simple and rapid detection methods for heavy metals are an urgent needed in environment protection and food safety. In this work, we have developed a fluorescent aptasensor for the 'turn-off' model detection of Pb2+ . The key feature of the aptasensor is that the dye-labelled nucleic acid strand can be folded into a G-quadruplex structure in the presence of Pb2+ . This conformational change induces photoinduced electron transfer (PET) between a G-quadruplex-hemin complex and 6-carboxyrhodamine X (ROX), which results in fluorescence quenching of ROX. We systematically investigated the interaction mechanism between Pb2+ and the aptasensor and the effects of several environmental parameters were also studied. Under the optimum conditions, the proposed method exhibited a good liner relationship between the concentration of Pb2+ and fluorescence quenching efficiency in the range 25-500 nM and the limit of detection was 1.02 nM. In addition, this method also manifested good performance in spiked lettuce samples with satisfactory recoveries of 87.10-109.6%. This target-induced PET platform can be further expanded to other heavy metal analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Wang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Food Rapid Detection, School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Tai Ye
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Food Rapid Detection, School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Yuan
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Food Rapid Detection, School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Cao
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Food Rapid Detection, School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingsong Yu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Food Rapid Detection, School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Fengqin Yin
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Food Rapid Detection, School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiuxiu Wu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Food Rapid Detection, School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Liling Hao
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Food Rapid Detection, School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Xu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Food Rapid Detection, School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
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22
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Pérez de Carvasal K, Riccardi C, Russo Krauss I, Cavasso D, Vasseur JJ, Smietana M, Morvan F, Montesarchio D. Charge-Transfer Interactions Stabilize G-Quadruplex-Forming Thrombin Binding Aptamers and Can Improve Their Anticoagulant Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:9510. [PMID: 34502432 PMCID: PMC8430690 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the search for optimized thrombin binding aptamers (TBAs), we herein describe the synthesis of a library of TBA analogues obtained by end-functionalization with the electron-rich 1,5-dialkoxy naphthalene (DAN) and the electron-deficient 1,8,4,5-naphthalenetetra-carboxylic diimide (NDI) moieties. Indeed, when these G-rich oligonucleotides were folded into the peculiar TBA G-quadruplex (G4) structure, effective donor-acceptor charge transfer interactions between the DAN and NDI residues attached to the extremities of the sequence were induced, providing pseudo-cyclic structures. Alternatively, insertion of NDI groups at both extremities produced TBA analogues stabilized by π-π stacking interactions. All the doubly-modified TBAs were characterized by different biophysical techniques and compared with the analogues carrying only the DAN or NDI residue and unmodified TBA. These modified TBAs exhibited higher nuclease resistance, and their G4 structures were markedly stabilized, as evidenced by increased Tm values compared to TBA. These favorable properties were also associated with improved anticoagulant activity for one DAN/NDI-modified TBA, and for one NDI/NDI-modified TBA. Our results indicated that TBA pseudo-cyclic structuring by ad hoc designed end-functionalization represents an efficient approach to improve the aptamer features, while pre-organizing and stabilizing the G4 structure but allowing sufficient flexibility to the aptamer folding, which is necessary for optimal thrombin recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kévan Pérez de Carvasal
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, University Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34095 Montpellier, France; (K.P.d.C.); (J.-J.V.); (M.S.)
| | - Claudia Riccardi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.R.); (I.R.K.); (D.C.)
| | - Irene Russo Krauss
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.R.); (I.R.K.); (D.C.)
- CSGI—Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase, Via della Lastruccia 3, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Domenico Cavasso
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.R.); (I.R.K.); (D.C.)
- CSGI—Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase, Via della Lastruccia 3, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Jean-Jacques Vasseur
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, University Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34095 Montpellier, France; (K.P.d.C.); (J.-J.V.); (M.S.)
| | - Michael Smietana
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, University Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34095 Montpellier, France; (K.P.d.C.); (J.-J.V.); (M.S.)
| | - François Morvan
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, University Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34095 Montpellier, France; (K.P.d.C.); (J.-J.V.); (M.S.)
| | - Daniela Montesarchio
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; (C.R.); (I.R.K.); (D.C.)
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23
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Kosman J, Juskowiak B. Thrombin-Binding Aptamer with Inversion of Polarity Sites (IPS): Effect on DNAzyme Activity and Anticoagulant Properties. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22157902. [PMID: 34360665 PMCID: PMC8347255 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22157902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In this work we examined the properties of thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA) modified by the introduction of inversion of polarity sites (IPS) in order to assess the effect of modification on the activation of TBA to serve as DNAzyme with peroxidase-like activity. Two oligonucleotides were designed to possess one (IPS1) or three (IPS2) inversion sites. TBA typically forms antiparallel G-quadruplexes with two G-tetrads, which exhibits very low DNAzyme peroxidise activity. DNAzyme activity is generally attributed to parallel G-quadruplexes. Hence, inversion of polarity was introduced in the TBA molecule to force the change of G-quadruplex topology. All oligonucleotides were characterized using circular dichroism and UV-Vis melting profiles. Next, the activity of the DNAzymes formed by studied oligonucleotides and hemin was investigated. The enhancement of peroxidase activity was observed when inversion of polarity was introduced. DNAzyme based on IPS2 showed the highest peroxidase activity in the presence of K+ or NH4+ ions. This proves that inversion of polarity can be used to convert a low-activity DNAzyme into a DNAzyme with high activity. Since TBA is known for its anticoagulant properties, the relevant experiments with IPS1 and IPS2 oligonucleotides were performed. Both IPS1 and IPS2 retain some anticoagulant activity in comparison to TBA in the reaction with fibrinogen. Additionally, the introduction of inversion of polarity makes these oligonucleotides more resistant to nucleases.
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24
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Lopes-Nunes J, Oliveira PA, Cruz C. G-Quadruplex-Based Drug Delivery Systems for Cancer Therapy. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:671. [PMID: 34358097 PMCID: PMC8308530 DOI: 10.3390/ph14070671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are a class of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) with single-stranded G-rich sequences. Owing to the selectivity of some G4s, they are emerging as targeting agents to overtake side effects of several potential anticancer drugs, and delivery systems of small molecules to malignant cells, through their high affinity or complementarity to specific targets. Moreover, different systems are being used to improve their potential, such as gold nano-particles or liposomes. Thus, the present review provides relevant data about the different studies with G4s as drug delivery systems and the challenges that must be overcome in the future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica Lopes-Nunes
- CICS-UBI-Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade da Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal;
| | - Paula A. Oliveira
- Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Inov4Agro, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal;
| | - Carla Cruz
- CICS-UBI-Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade da Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal;
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25
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Virgilio A, Benigno D, Pecoraro A, Russo A, Russo G, Esposito V, Galeone A. Exploring New Potential Anticancer Activities of the G-Quadruplexes Formed by [(GTG 2T(G 3T) 3] and Its Derivatives with an Abasic Site Replacing Single Thymidine. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22137040. [PMID: 34208896 PMCID: PMC8268168 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22137040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we report our investigations on five T30175 analogues, prepared by replacing sequence thymidines with abasic sites (S) one at a time, in comparison to their natural counterpart in order to evaluate their antiproliferative potential and the involvement of the residues not belonging to the central core of stacked guanosines in biological activity. The collected NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance), CD (Circular Dichroism), and PAGE (Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis) data strongly suggest that all of them adopt G-quadruplex (G4) structures strictly similar to that of the parent aptamer with the ability to fold into a dimeric structure composed of two identical G-quadruplexes, each characterized by parallel strands, three all-anti-G-tetrads and four one-thymidine loops (one bulge and three propeller loops). Furthermore, their antiproliferative (MTT assay) and anti-motility (wound healing assay) properties against lung and colorectal cancer cells were tested. Although all of the oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) investigated here exhibited anti-proliferative activity, the unmodified T30175 aptamer showed the greatest effect on cell growth, suggesting that both its characteristic folding in dimeric form and its presence in the sequence of all thymidines are crucial elements for antiproliferative activity. This straightforward approach is suitable for understanding the critical requirements of the G-quadruplex structures that affect antiproliferative potential and suggests its application as a starting point to facilitate the reasonable development of G-quadruplexes with improved anticancer properties.
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26
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Miclot T, Corbier C, Terenzi A, Hognon C, Grandemange S, Barone G, Monari A. Forever Young: Structural Stability of Telomeric Guanine Quadruplexes in the Presence of Oxidative DNA Lesions*. Chemistry 2021; 27:8865-8874. [PMID: 33871121 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202100993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Human telomeric DNA, in G-quadruplex (G4) conformation, is characterized by a remarkable structural stability that confers it the capacity to resist to oxidative stress producing one or even clustered 8-oxoguanine (8oxoG) lesions. We present a combined experimental/computational investigation, by using circular dichroism in aqueous solutions, cellular immunofluorescence assays and molecular dynamics simulations, that identifies the crucial role of the stability of G4s to oxidative lesions, related also to their biological role as inhibitors of telomerase, an enzyme overexpressed in most cancers associated to oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Miclot
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128, Palermo, Italy.,Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LPCT UMR 7019, 54000, Nancy, France
| | - Camille Corbier
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, CRAN UMR 7039, 54000, Nancy, France
| | - Alessio Terenzi
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Cécilia Hognon
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LPCT UMR 7019, 54000, Nancy, France
| | | | - Giampaolo Barone
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonio Monari
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LPCT UMR 7019, 54000, Nancy, France
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27
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Birader K, Kumar P, Tammineni Y, Barla JA, Reddy S, Suman P. Colorimetric aptasensor for on-site detection of oxytetracycline antibiotic in milk. Food Chem 2021; 356:129659. [PMID: 33812186 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Oxytetracycline (OTC), one of the largely used antibiotic in veterinary practice has been banned due to its potential side effects. Development of a field applicable and affordable kit to detect OTC will help to eliminate such milk from human consumption. An aptamer has been designed (27 nt; Kd = 29.2 ± 19.4 nM) through rational truncation. OTC interacts with this aptamer in G rich regions as confirmed by molecular modelling and circular dichroism spectroscopy. To develop a lateral flow based aptasensor, OTC was conjugated with a 7 kDa carrier protein to immobilize onto the nitrocellulose membrane. Using 0.125 µM aptamer-gold conjugate, assay could visually detects upto 5 ng/mL of OTC in spiked milk within 10 mins [Limit of quantitation (LOQ)-0.254 ± 1.62 ng/mL; permissible limit 100 ng/mL]. It showed no cross reactivity with components of milk and data correlated with analysis done through HPLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Komal Birader
- Animal Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology Hyderabad, 500032, India
| | - Pankaj Kumar
- Animal Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology Hyderabad, 500032, India
| | - Yathirajarao Tammineni
- Animal Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology Hyderabad, 500032, India
| | - Jeannie Alice Barla
- Animal Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology Hyderabad, 500032, India
| | - Shashidhar Reddy
- Animal Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology Hyderabad, 500032, India
| | - Pankaj Suman
- Animal Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology Hyderabad, 500032, India.
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28
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Podder A, Lee HJ, Kim BH. Fluorescent Nucleic Acid Systems for Biosensors. BULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN 2021. [DOI: 10.1246/bcsj.20200351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arup Podder
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Advanced Materials Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Korea
| | - Ha Jung Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Advanced Materials Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Korea
| | - Byeang Hyean Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Advanced Materials Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Korea
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Moghadam SMM, Alibolandi M, Babaei M, Mosafer J, Saljooghi AS, Ramezani M. Fabrication of deferasirox-decorated aptamer-targeted superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) as a therapeutic and magnetic resonance imaging agent in cancer therapy. J Biol Inorg Chem 2021; 26:29-41. [PMID: 33156416 DOI: 10.1007/s00775-020-01834-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In the current study, the synthesis of a theranostic platform composed of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION)-deferasirox conjugates targeted with AS1411 DNA aptamer was reported. In this regard, SPION was amine-functionalized by (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (ATPMS), and then deferasirox was covalently conjugated onto its surface. Finally, to provide guided drug delivery to cancerous tissue, AS1411 aptamer was conjugated to the complex of SPION-deferasirox. The cellular toxicity assay on CHO, C-26 and AGS cell lines verified higher cellular toxicity of targeted complex in comparison with non-targeted one. The evaluation of in vivo tumor growth inhibitory effect in C26 tumor-bearing mice illustrated that the aptamer-targeted complex significantly enhanced the therapeutic outcome in comparison with both non-targeted complex and free drug. The diagnostic capability of the prepared platform was also evaluated implementing C26-tumor-bearing mice. Obtained data confirmed higher tumor accumulation and higher tumor residence time for targeted complex through MRI imaging due to the existence of SPION as a contrast agent in the core of the prepared complex. The prepared multimodal theranostic system provides a safe and effective platform for fighting against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mona Alibolandi
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Maryam Babaei
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Jafar Mosafer
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Paramedical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
- Department of Radiology, 9 Day Educational Hospital, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
| | - Amir Sh Saljooghi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, 91775-1436, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Ramezani
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
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Virgilio A, Esposito V, Pecoraro A, Russo A, Vellecco V, Pepe A, Bucci M, Russo G, Galeone A. Structural properties and anticoagulant/cytotoxic activities of heterochiral enantiomeric thrombin binding aptamer (TBA) derivatives. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 48:12556-12565. [PMID: 33270863 PMCID: PMC7736819 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The thrombin binding aptamer (TBA) possesses promising antiproliferative properties. However, its development as an anticancer agent is drastically impaired by its concomitant anticoagulant activity. Therefore, suitable chemical modifications in the TBA sequence would be required in order to preserve its antiproliferative over anticoagulant activity. In this paper, we report structural investigations, based on circular dichroism (CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and biological evaluation of four pairs of enantiomeric heterochiral TBA analogues. The four TBA derivatives of the d-series are composed by d-residues except for one l-thymidine in the small TT loops, while their four enantiomers are composed by l-residues except for one d-thymidine in the same TT loop region. Apart from the left-handedness for the l-series TBA derivatives, CD and NMR measurements have shown that all TBA analogues are able to adopt the antiparallel, monomolecular, ‘chair-like’ G-quadruplex structure characteristic of the natural D-TBA. However, although all eight TBA derivatives are endowed with remarkable cytotoxic activities against colon and lung cancer cell lines, only TBA derivatives of the l-series show no anticoagulant activity and are considerably resistant in biological environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Virgilio
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Veronica Esposito
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Annalisa Pecoraro
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Annapina Russo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Valentina Vellecco
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Antonietta Pepe
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, I-85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Mariarosaria Bucci
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Giulia Russo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Aldo Galeone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
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31
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Meier-Stephenson V, Badmalia MD, Mrozowich T, Lau KCK, Schultz SK, Gemmill DL, Osiowy C, van Marle G, Coffin CS, Patel TR. Identification and characterization of a G-quadruplex structure in the pre-core promoter region of hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100589. [PMID: 33774051 PMCID: PMC8094906 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Approximately 250 million people worldwide are chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and are at increased risk of developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The HBV genome persists as covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), which serves as the template for all HBV mRNA transcripts. Current nucleos(t)ide analogs used to treat HBV do not directly target the HBV cccDNA genome and thus cannot eradicate HBV infection. Here, we report the discovery of a unique G-quadruplex structure in the pre-core promoter region of the HBV genome that is conserved among nearly all genotypes. This region is central to critical steps in the viral life cycle, including the generation of pregenomic RNA, synthesis of core and polymerase proteins, and genome encapsidation; thus, an increased understanding of the HBV pre-core region may lead to the identification of novel anti-HBV cccDNA targets. We utilized biophysical methods (circular dichroism and small-angle X-ray scattering) to characterize the HBV G-quadruplex and the effect of three distinct G to A mutants. We also used microscale thermophoresis to quantify the binding affinity of G-quadruplex and its mutants with a known quadruplex-binding protein (DHX36). To investigate the physiological relevance of HBV G-quadruplex, we employed assays using DHX36 to pull-down cccDNA and compared HBV infection in HepG2 cells transfected with wild-type and mutant HBV plasmids by monitoring the levels of genomic DNA, pregenomic RNA, and antigens. Further evaluation of this critical host-protein interaction site in the HBV cccDNA genome may facilitate the development of novel anti-HBV therapeutics against the resilient cccDNA template.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Meier-Stephenson
- Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Maulik D Badmalia
- Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Tyler Mrozowich
- Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Keith C K Lau
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sarah K Schultz
- Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Darren L Gemmill
- Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Carla Osiowy
- Viral Hepatitis and Bloodborne Pathogens, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Guido van Marle
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Carla S Coffin
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Trushar R Patel
- Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; DiscoveryLab, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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32
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Tuning G-Quadruplex Nanostructures with Lipids. Towards Designing Hybrid Scaffolds for Oligonucleotide Delivery. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010121. [PMID: 33374392 PMCID: PMC7796380 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Two G-quadruplex forming oligonucleotides [d(TG4T)4 and d(TG6T)4] were selected as two tetramolecular quadruplex nanostructures because of their demonstrated ability to be modified with hydrophobic molecules. This allowed us to synthesize two series of G-quadruplex conjugates that differed in the number of G-tetrads, as well as in the terminal position of the lipid modification. Both solution and solid-phase syntheses were carried out to yield the corresponding lipid oligonucleotide conjugates modified at their 3′- and 5′-termini, respectively. Biophysical studies confirmed that the presence of saturated alkyl chains with different lengths did not affect the G-quadruplex integrity, but increased the stability. Next, the G-quadruplex domain was added to an 18-mer antisense oligonucleotide. Gene silencing studies confirmed the ability of such G-rich oligonucleotides to facilitate the inhibition of target Renilla luciferase without showing signs of toxicity in tumor cell lines.
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33
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Zhao H, Lv J, Li F, Zhang Z, Zhang C, Gu Z, Yang D. Enzymatical biomineralization of DNA nanoflowers mediated by manganese ions for tumor site activated magnetic resonance imaging. Biomaterials 2020; 268:120591. [PMID: 33338933 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.120591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
DNA nanoflower has been demonstrated as a promising DNA nanostructure for therapeutics and bioimaging primarily because of the programmable DNA sequence and unique structure. Herein, we report manganese ions mediated enzymatic biomineralization to prepare DNA-Mn hybrid nanoflower (DMNF). Paramagnetic Mn2+ was explored as the co-factor of DNA polymerase for the extension of long strand DNA. The biomimetic synthesis of DMNF was performed using the long strand DNA as template via nucleation and growth of Mn2PPi. The morphology and size of DMNF were controllable by tuning reaction time and Mn2+ concentration. The aptamer sequence was encoded into circle template to achieve tumor-targeted DMNF, and cellular uptake assay demonstrated obvious aptamer-mediated internalization. DMNF showed enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging effect in acid environment for high tumor-specific MR imaging, and high spatial resolution imaging of kidneys and liver. Our work provides a facile enzymatically biomineral strategy to integrate multifunctional modules into one DNA structure and promotes the development of DNA nanostructure for precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaixin Zhao
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, PR China
| | - Jigang Lv
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, PR China
| | - Feng Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, PR China
| | - Zhili Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, PR China
| | - Chunzhi Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin, 300211, PR China
| | - Zi Gu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Dayong Yang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, PR China.
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34
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Vallejo-Perez M, Ternon C, Spinelli N, Morisot F, Theodorou C, Jayakumar G, Hellström PE, Mouis M, Rapenne L, Mescot X, Salem B, Stambouli V. Optimization of GOPS-Based Functionalization Process and Impact of Aptamer Grafting on the Si Nanonet FET Electrical Properties as First Steps towards Thrombin Electrical Detection. NANOMATERIALS 2020; 10:nano10091842. [PMID: 32942692 PMCID: PMC7559082 DOI: 10.3390/nano10091842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Field effect transistors (FETs) based on networks of randomly oriented Si nanowires (Si nanonets or Si NNs) were biomodified using Thrombin Binding Aptamer (TBA-15) probe with the final objective to sense thrombin by electrical detection. In this work, the impact of the biomodification on the electrical properties of the Si NN-FETs was studied. First, the results that were obtained for the optimization of the (3-Glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GOPS)-based biofunctionalization process by using UV radiation are reported. The biofunctionalized devices were analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), proving that TBA-15 probes were properly grafted on the surface of the devices, and by means of epifluorescence microscopy it was possible to demonstrate that the UV-assisted GOPS-based functionalization notably improves the homogeneity of the surface DNA distribution. Later, the electrical characteristics of 80 devices were analyzed before and after the biofunctionalization process, indicating that the results are highly dependent on the experimental protocol. We found that the TBA-15 hybridization capacity with its complementary strand is time dependent and that the transfer characteristics of the Si NN-FETs obtained after the TBA-15 probe grafting are also time dependent. These results help to elucidate and define the experimental precautions that must be taken into account to fabricate reproducible devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Vallejo-Perez
- University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LMGP, F-38000 Grenoble, France; (M.V.-P.); (F.M.); (L.R.)
- University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, DCM UMR 5250, F-38000 Grenoble, France;
| | - Céline Ternon
- University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LMGP, F-38000 Grenoble, France; (M.V.-P.); (F.M.); (L.R.)
- Correspondence: (C.T.); (V.S.)
| | - Nicolas Spinelli
- University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, DCM UMR 5250, F-38000 Grenoble, France;
| | - Fanny Morisot
- University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LMGP, F-38000 Grenoble, France; (M.V.-P.); (F.M.); (L.R.)
- University Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, Grenoble INP, IMEP-LAHC, F-38000 Grenoble, France; (C.T.); (M.M.); (X.M.)
| | - Christoforos Theodorou
- University Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, Grenoble INP, IMEP-LAHC, F-38000 Grenoble, France; (C.T.); (M.M.); (X.M.)
| | - Ganesh Jayakumar
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Electronics, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Electrum 229, SE-164 40 Kista, Sweden; (G.J.); (P.-E.H.)
| | - Per-Erik Hellström
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Electronics, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Electrum 229, SE-164 40 Kista, Sweden; (G.J.); (P.-E.H.)
| | - Mireille Mouis
- University Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, Grenoble INP, IMEP-LAHC, F-38000 Grenoble, France; (C.T.); (M.M.); (X.M.)
| | - Laetitia Rapenne
- University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LMGP, F-38000 Grenoble, France; (M.V.-P.); (F.M.); (L.R.)
| | - Xavier Mescot
- University Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, Grenoble INP, IMEP-LAHC, F-38000 Grenoble, France; (C.T.); (M.M.); (X.M.)
| | - Bassem Salem
- University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA/LETI Minatec, Grenoble INP, LTM, F-38054 Grenoble, France;
| | - Valérie Stambouli
- University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, LMGP, F-38000 Grenoble, France; (M.V.-P.); (F.M.); (L.R.)
- Correspondence: (C.T.); (V.S.)
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35
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Tu ATT, Hoshi K, Ikebukuro K, Hanagata N, Yamazaki T. Monomeric G-Quadruplex-Based CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides as Potent Toll-Like Receptor 9 Agonists. Biomacromolecules 2020; 21:3644-3657. [PMID: 32857497 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.0c00679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) containing unmethylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) motifs trigger the immune response by stimulating endosomal Toll-like receptor (TLR) 9. Natural linear ODNs are susceptible to nuclease degradation, thereby limiting their clinical applications. Here, we designed monomeric G-quadruplex-based CpG ODNs (G4 CpG ODNs) containing CpG motifs in the central loop region of the G4 structure. The monomeric G4 CpG ODNs were more stable in serum than the linear ODNs. The monomeric G4 CpG ODNs containing two or three CpG motifs induced the production of immunostimulatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, IL-12, and interferon (IFN)-β in mouse macrophage-like RAW264 cells. We also showed that the number of CpG motifs and the number of nucleotides between the CpG motif and G-tracts define the efficacy of the G4 CpG ODNs in activating TLR9. Incubating human peripheral blood mononuclear cells with G4 CpG ODNs promoted IL-6 and IFN-γ production, confirming their stimulatory effects on human immune cells. Mice given intraperitoneal injections of G4 CpG ODNs produced higher plasma IL-6 compared with injections of linear ODNs. These findings provide further understanding of the parameters governing the immunostimulatory activity of G4 CpG ODNs, thereby providing insights into the rational design of highly potent G4 CpG ODNs for vaccine adjuvants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh Thi Tram Tu
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 10, Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0808, Japan.,Nanomedicine Group, Research Center for Functional Materials (RCFM), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-2-1, Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Hoshi
- Nanomedicine Group, Research Center for Functional Materials (RCFM), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-2-1, Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan
| | - Kazunori Ikebukuro
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho, Koganei 184-8588, Japan
| | - Nobutaka Hanagata
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 10, Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0808, Japan.,Nanotechnology Innovation Station, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-2-1, Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan
| | - Tomohiko Yamazaki
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 10, Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0808, Japan.,Nanomedicine Group, Research Center for Functional Materials (RCFM), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-2-1, Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan
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Design, Synthesis and Characterization of Cyclic NU172 Analogues: A Biophysical and Biological Insight. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21113860. [PMID: 32485818 PMCID: PMC7312020 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21113860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
NU172—a 26-mer oligonucleotide able to bind exosite I of human thrombin and inhibit its activity—was the first aptamer to reach Phase II clinical studies as an anticoagulant in heart disease treatments. With the aim of favoring its functional duplex-quadruplex conformation and thus improving its enzymatic stability, as well as its thrombin inhibitory activity, herein a focused set of cyclic NU172 analogues—obtained by connecting its 5′- and 3′-extremities with flexible linkers—was synthesized. Two different chemical approaches were exploited in the cyclization procedure, one based on the oxime ligation method and the other on Cu(I)-assisted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), affording NU172 analogues including circularizing linkers with different length and chemical nature. The resulting cyclic NU172 derivatives were characterized using several biophysical techniques (ultraviolet (UV) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies, gel electrophoresis) and then investigated for their serum resistance and anticoagulant activity in vitro. All the cyclic NU172 analogues showed higher thermal stability and nuclease resistance compared to unmodified NU172. These favorable properties were, however, associated with reduced—even though still significant—anticoagulant activity, suggesting that the conformational constraints introduced upon cyclization were somehow detrimental for protein recognition. These results provide useful information for the design of improved analogues of NU172 and related duplex-quadruplex structures.
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37
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G-quadruplex, Friend or Foe: The Role of the G-quartet in Anticancer Strategies. Trends Mol Med 2020; 26:848-861. [PMID: 32467069 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2020.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The clinical applicability of G-quadruplexes (G4s) as anticancer drugs is currently being evaluated. Several G4 ligands and aptamers are undergoing clinical trials following the notable examples of quarfloxin and AS1411, respectively. In this review, we summarize the latest achievements and breakthroughs in the use of G4 nucleic acids as both therapeutic tools ('friends', as healing anticancer drugs) and targets ('foes', within the harmful cancer cell), particularly using aptamers and quadruplex-targeted ligands, respectively. We explore the recent research on synthetic G4 ligands toward the discovery of anticancer therapeutics and their mechanism of action. Additionally, we highlight recent advances in chemical and structural biology that enable the design of specific G4 aptamers to be used as novel anticancer agents.
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38
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Mitra J, Ha T. Streamlining effects of extra telomeric repeat on telomeric DNA folding revealed by fluorescence-force spectroscopy. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 47:11044-11056. [PMID: 31617570 PMCID: PMC6868435 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
A human telomere ends in a single-stranded 3′ tail, composed of repeats of T2AG3. G-quadruplexes (GQs) formed from four consecutive repeats have been shown to possess high-structural and mechanical diversity. In principle, a GQ can form from any four repeats that are not necessarily consecutive. To understand the dynamics of GQs with positional multiplicity, we studied five and six repeats human telomeric sequence using a combination of single molecule FRET and optical tweezers. Our results suggest preferential formation of GQs at the 3′ end both in K+ and Na+ solutions, with minor populations of 5′-GQ or long-loop GQs. A vectorial folding assay which mimics the directional nature of telomere extension showed that the 3′ preference holds even when folding is allowed to begin from the 5′ side. In 100 mM K+, the unassociated T2AG3 segment has a streamlining effect in that one or two mechanically distinct species was observed at a single position instead of six or more observed without an unassociated repeat. We did not observe such streamlining effect in 100 mM Na+. Location of GQ and reduction in conformational diversity in the presence of extra repeats have implications in telomerase inhibition, T-loop formation and telomere end protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaba Mitra
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL 61801, USA.,Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Taekjip Ha
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.,Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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39
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uL3 Mediated Nucleolar Stress Pathway as a New Mechanism of Action of Antiproliferative G-quadruplex TBA Derivatives in Colon Cancer Cells. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10040583. [PMID: 32290083 PMCID: PMC7226491 DOI: 10.3390/biom10040583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The antiproliferative G-quadruplex aptamers are a promising and challenging subject in the framework of the anticancer therapeutic oligonucleotides research field. Although several antiproliferative G-quadruplex aptamers have been identified and proven to be effective on different cancer cell lines, their mechanism of action is still unexplored. We have recently described the antiproliferative activity of a heterochiral thrombin binding aptamer (TBA) derivative, namely, LQ1. Here, we investigate the molecular mechanisms of LQ1 activity and the structural and antiproliferative properties of two further TBA derivatives, differing from LQ1 only by the small loop base-compositions. We demonstrate that in p53 deleted colon cancer cells, LQ1 causes nucleolar stress, impairs ribosomal RNA processing, leading to the accumulation of pre-ribosomal RNAs, arrests cells in the G2/M phase and induces early apoptosis. Importantly, the depletion of uL3 abrogates all these effects, indicating that uL3 is a crucial player in the mechanism of action of LQ1. Taken together, our findings identify p53-independent and uL3-dependent nucleolar stress as a novel stress response pathway activated by a specific G-quadruplex TBA derivative. To the best of our knowledge, this investigation reveals, for the first time, the involvement of the nucleolar stress pathway in the mechanism of action of antiproliferative G-quadruplex aptamers.
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40
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Humenik M, Preiß T, Gödrich S, Papastavrou G, Scheibel T. Functionalized DNA-spider silk nanohydrogels for controlled protein binding and release. Mater Today Bio 2020; 6:100045. [PMID: 32259099 PMCID: PMC7096766 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2020.100045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrogels are excellent scaffolds to accommodate sensitive enzymes in a protective environment. However, the lack of suitable immobilization techniques on substrates and the lack of selectivity to anchor a biocatalyst are major drawbacks preventing the use of hydrogels in bioanalytical devices. Here, nanofilm coatings on surfaces were made of a recombinant spider silk protein (rssp) to induce rssp self-assembly and thus the formation of fibril-based nanohydrogels. To functionalize spider silk nanohydrogels for bioselective binding of proteins, two different antithrombin aptamers were chemically conjugated with the rssp, thereby integrating the target-binding function into the nanohydrogel network. Human thrombin was selected as a sensitive model target, in which the structural integrity determines its activity. The chosen aptamers, which bind various exosites of thrombin, enabled selective and cooperative embedding of the protein into the nanohydrogels. The change of the aptamer secondary structure using complementary DNA sequences led to the release of active thrombin and confirmed the addressable functionalization of spider silk nanohydrogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Humenik
- Department of Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, Universität Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann.Str. 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Tamara Preiß
- Department of Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, Universität Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann.Str. 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Sebastian Gödrich
- Department of Physical Chemistry II, Faculty of Biology, Chemistry & Earth Sciences, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Georg Papastavrou
- Department of Physical Chemistry II, Faculty of Biology, Chemistry & Earth Sciences, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Colloids and Interfaces (BZKG), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bavarian Polymer Institute (BPI), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Department of Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, Universität Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann.Str. 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Colloids and Interfaces (BZKG), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Molecular Biosciences (BZMB), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Material Science (BayMAT), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bavarian Polymer Institute (BPI), Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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41
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Imperatore JA, McAninch DS, Valdez-Sinon AN, Bassell GJ, Mihailescu MR. FUS Recognizes G Quadruplex Structures Within Neuronal mRNAs. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:6. [PMID: 32118033 PMCID: PMC7018707 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Fused in sarcoma (FUS), identified as the heterogeneous nuclear ribonuclear protein P2, is expressed in neuronal and non-neuronal tissue, and among other functions, has been implicated in messenger RNA (mRNA) transport and possibly local translation regulation. Although FUS is mainly localized to the nucleus, in the neurons FUS has also been shown to localize to the post-synaptic density, as well as to the pre-synapse. Additionally, the FUS deletion in cultured hippocampal cells results in abnormal spine and dendrite morphology. Thus, FUS may play a role in synaptic function regulation, mRNA localization, and local translation. Many dendritic mRNAs have been shown to form G quadruplex structures in their 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR). Since FUS contains three arginine-glycine-glycine (RGG) boxes, an RNA binding domain shown to bind with high affinity and specificity to RNA G quadruplex structures, in this study we hypothesized that FUS recognizes these structural elements in its neuronal mRNA targets. Two neuronal mRNAs found in the pre- and post-synapse are the post-synaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) and Shank1 mRNAs, which encode for proteins involved in synaptic plasticity, maintenance, and function. These mRNAs have been shown to form 3'-UTR G quadruplex structures and were also enriched in FUS hydrogels. In this study, we used native gel electrophoresis and steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy to demonstrate specific nanomolar binding of the FUS C-terminal RGG box and of full-length FUS to the RNA G quadruplex structures formed in the 3'-UTR of PSD-95 and Shank1a mRNAs. These results point toward a novel mechanism by which FUS targets neuronal mRNA and given that these PSD-95 and Shank1 3'-UTR G quadruplex structures are also targeted by the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), they raise the possibility that FUS and FMRP might work together to regulate the translation of these neuronal mRNA targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua A. Imperatore
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Damian S. McAninch
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | | | - Gary J. Bassell
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Mihaela Rita Mihailescu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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42
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Feng B, Xing Y, Lan J, Su Z, Wang F. Synthesis of MUC1 aptamer-stabilized gold nanoclusters for cell-specific imaging. Talanta 2020; 212:120796. [PMID: 32113558 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2020.120796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Targeted imaging of cancer cells is crucial for early diagnosis. Mucin is a transmembrane protein that is overexpressed by cancer cells and is considered a cancer target. Specific recognition of mucin by aptamers has been receiving increasing attention in recent years. In this study, we use DNA MUC1 aptamer as a protective agent and target molecule in the synthesis of ultra-small fluorescent gold nanoclusters (MUC1-AuNCs) via a simple one-step method. MUC1-AuNCs exhibited red fluorescence emission with excellent stability over a wide pH range and under strong illumination. Confocal images showed that the synthesized MUC1-AuNCs efficiently targeted mucin overexpressing 4T1 cancer cells, but were not observed in 293T normal cells. Furthermore, the MUC1-AuNCs had a 5667 ns lifetime and 235 nm Stokes shifts and markedly eliminated background interference, suggesting they are a promising fluorescent probe for cell-targeted labeling and imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Feng
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830054, China
| | - Yanan Xing
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Jinze Lan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Zhi Su
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830054, China.
| | - Fu Wang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830054, China; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
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43
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Lv M, Guo Y, Ren J, Wang E. Exploration of intramolecular split G-quadruplex and its analytical applications. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:9502-9510. [PMID: 31504779 PMCID: PMC6765144 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Distinct from intermolecular split G-quadruplex (Inter-SG), intramolecular split G-quadruplex (Intra-SG) which could be generated in a DNA spacer-inserted G-quadruplex strand has not been systematically explored. Not only is it essential for the purpose of simplicity of DNA-based bioanalytical applications, but also it will give us hints how to design split G-quadruplex-based system. Herein, comprehensive information is provided about influences of spacer length and split mode on the formation of Intra-SG, how to adjust its thermodynamic stability, and selection of optimal Intra-SG for bioanalysis. For instances, non-classical Intra-SG (e.g. 2:10, 4:8 and 5:7) displays lower stability than classical split strands (3:9, 6:6 and 9:3), which is closely related to integrity of consecutive guanine tract; as compared to regular Intra-SG structures, single-thymine capped ones have reduced melting temperature, providing an effective approach to adjustment of stability. It is believed that the disclosed rules in this study will contribute to the effective application of split G-quadruplex in the field of DNA technology in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengmeng Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuchun Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China.,College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China
| | - Jiangtao Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Erkang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
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44
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Raje S, Pandav K, Barthwal R. Binding of anticancer drug adriamycin to parallel G‐quadruplex DNA [d‐(TTAGGGT)]
4
comprising human telomeric DNA leads to thermal stabilization: A multiple spectroscopy study. J Mol Recognit 2019; 33:e2815. [DOI: 10.1002/jmr.2815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shailja Raje
- Department of BiotechnologyIndian Institute of Technology Roorkee Roorkee India
| | - Kumud Pandav
- Department of BiotechnologyIndian Institute of Technology Roorkee Roorkee India
| | - Ritu Barthwal
- Department of BiotechnologyIndian Institute of Technology Roorkee Roorkee India
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45
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Afanasyeva A, Nagao C, Mizuguchi K. Prediction of the secondary structure of short DNA aptamers. Biophys Physicobiol 2019; 16:287-294. [PMID: 31984183 PMCID: PMC6975895 DOI: 10.2142/biophysico.16.0_287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aptamers have a spectrum of applications in biotechnology and drug design, because of the relative simplicity of experimental protocols and advantages of stability and specificity associated with their structural properties. However, to understand the structure-function relationships of aptamers, robust structure modeling tools are necessary. Several such tools have been developed and extensively tested, although most of them target various forms of biological RNA. In this study, we tested the performance of three tools in application to DNA aptamers, since DNA aptamers are the focus of many studies, particularly in drug discovery. We demonstrated that in most cases, the secondary structure of DNA can be reconstructed with acceptable accuracy by at least one of the three tools tested (Mfold, RNAfold, and CentroidFold), although the G-quadruplex motif found in many of the DNA aptamer structures complicates the prediction, as well as the pseudoknot interaction. This problem should be addressed more carefully to improve prediction accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arina Afanasyeva
- Artificial Intelligence Center for Health and Biomedical Research (ArCHER), National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0085, Japan
| | - Chioko Nagao
- Laboratory of In-silico Drug Design, Center for Drug Design Research (CDDR), National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0085, Japan
| | - Kenji Mizuguchi
- Artificial Intelligence Center for Health and Biomedical Research (ArCHER), National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0085, Japan.,Laboratory of In-silico Drug Design, Center for Drug Design Research (CDDR), National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0085, Japan
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46
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POT1-TPP1 differentially regulates telomerase via POT1 His266 and as a function of single-stranded telomere DNA length. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:23527-23533. [PMID: 31685617 PMCID: PMC6876245 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1905381116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeres cap the ends of linear chromosomes and terminate in a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) overhang recognized by POT1-TPP1 heterodimers to help regulate telomere length homeostasis. Here hydroxyl radical footprinting coupled with mass spectrometry was employed to probe protein-protein interactions and conformational changes involved in the assembly of telomere ssDNA substrates of differing lengths bound by POT1-TPP1 heterodimers. Our data identified environmental changes surrounding residue histidine 266 of POT1 that were dependent on telomere ssDNA substrate length. We further determined that the chronic lymphocytic leukemia-associated H266L substitution significantly reduced POT1-TPP1 binding to short ssDNA substrates; however, it only moderately impaired the heterodimer binding to long ssDNA substrates containing multiple protein binding sites. Additionally, we identified a telomerase inhibitory role when several native POT1-TPP1 proteins coat physiologically relevant lengths of telomere ssDNA. This POT1-TPP1 complex-mediated inhibition of telomerase is abrogated in the context of the POT1 H266L mutation, which leads to telomere overextension in a malignant cellular environment.
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47
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Riccardi C, Meyer A, Vasseur JJ, Russo Krauss I, Paduano L, Morvan F, Montesarchio D. Fine-tuning the properties of the thrombin binding aptamer through cyclization: Effect of the 5'-3' connecting linker on the aptamer stability and anticoagulant activity. Bioorg Chem 2019; 94:103379. [PMID: 31699393 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2019.103379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A small library of cyclic TBA analogues (named cycTBA I-IV), obtained by covalently connecting its 5'- and 3'-ends with flexible linkers, has been synthesized with the aim of improving its chemical and enzymatic stability, as well as its anticoagulant properties. Two chemical procedures have been exploited to achieve the desired cyclization, based on the oxime ligation method (providing cycTBA I and II) or on Cu(I)-assisted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) protocols (for cycTBA III and IV), leading to analogues containing circularizing linkers with different chemical nature and length, overall spanning from 22 to 48 atoms. The resulting cyclic TBAs have been characterized using a variety of biophysical methods (UV, CD, gel electrophoresis, SE-HPLC analyses) and then tested for their serum resistance and anticoagulant activity under in vitro experiments. A fine-tuning of the length and flexibility of the linker allowed identifying a cyclic analogue, cycTBA II, with improved anticoagulant activity, associated with a dramatically stabilized G-quadruplex structure (ΔTm = +17 °C) and a 6.6-fold higher enzymatic resistance in serum compared to unmodified TBA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Riccardi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, I-80126 Napoli, Italy
| | - Albert Meyer
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Jacques Vasseur
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier, France
| | - Irene Russo Krauss
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, I-80126 Napoli, Italy; CSGI - Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase, Via della Lastruccia 3, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Fi), Italy
| | - Luigi Paduano
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, I-80126 Napoli, Italy; CSGI - Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase, Via della Lastruccia 3, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Fi), Italy
| | - François Morvan
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier, France.
| | - Daniela Montesarchio
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, I-80126 Napoli, Italy.
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48
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Zheng J, Du Y, Wang H, Peng P, Shi L, Li T. Ultrastable Bimolecular G-Quadruplexes Programmed DNA Nanoassemblies for Reconfigurable Biomimetic DNAzymes. ACS NANO 2019; 13:11947-11954. [PMID: 31589020 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b06029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The relatively low stability and polymorphism of bimolecular G-quadruplexes (bi-G4s) are big difficulties that are faced in employing them to guide DNA assembly, as they are usually subject to a transformation into more stable tetramolecular or G-wire structures favored by K+ or Mg2+. Although bi-G4s benefit by additional duplex handles, a challenge remains in tailoring their intrinsic properties to resolve the above difficulties. Toward this challenge, here we engineer several ultrastable bi-G4s via replacing their nucleotide loops with special mini-hairpins, which consist of a GAA loop and a short GC-paired stem. Such a structural alteration favors the formation of G:C:G:C tetrads in the head-to-head folding topologies of bi-G4s and improves their thermal stability, with an increase in the melting temperature by up to 25 °C. It dramatically reduces their structural conversion into G-wires, verified by atomic force microscopy. These features enable the utilization of two well-chosen bi-G4s to shape a DNA nanotriangle into the desired framework nucleic acid (FNA) architectures such as "bowknot" and "butterfly" that are reversibly switched by the bi-G4s. On this basis, we further build a reconfigurable DNAzyme device to mimic the activation of human telomerase that is modulated by the G4 dimerization. Our designed ultrastable bi-G4s will offer a promising tool for dynamically manipulating intracellular DNA nanoassemblies with endogenous K+ and exploring the relationship between dimerization and function in some physiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Zheng
- Department of Chemistry , University of Science and Technology of China , 96 Jinzhai Road , Hefei , Anhui 230026 , China
| | - Yi Du
- Department of Chemistry , University of Science and Technology of China , 96 Jinzhai Road , Hefei , Anhui 230026 , China
| | - Huihui Wang
- Department of Chemistry , University of Science and Technology of China , 96 Jinzhai Road , Hefei , Anhui 230026 , China
| | - Pai Peng
- Department of Chemistry , University of Science and Technology of China , 96 Jinzhai Road , Hefei , Anhui 230026 , China
| | - Lili Shi
- Department of Chemistry , University of Science and Technology of China , 96 Jinzhai Road , Hefei , Anhui 230026 , China
| | - Tao Li
- Department of Chemistry , University of Science and Technology of China , 96 Jinzhai Road , Hefei , Anhui 230026 , China
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Roxo C, Kotkowiak W, Pasternak A. G-Quadruplex-Forming Aptamers-Characteristics, Applications, and Perspectives. Molecules 2019; 24:E3781. [PMID: 31640176 PMCID: PMC6832456 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24203781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes constitute a unique class of nucleic acid structures formed by G-rich oligonucleotides of DNA- or RNA-type. Depending on their chemical nature, loops length, and localization in the sequence or structure molecularity, G-quadruplexes are highly polymorphic structures showing various folding topologies. They may be formed in the human genome where they are believed to play a pivotal role in the regulation of multiple biological processes such as replication, transcription, and translation. Thus, natural G-quadruplex structures became prospective targets for disease treatment. The fast development of systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) technologies provided a number of G-rich aptamers revealing the potential of G-quadruplex structures as a promising molecular tool targeted toward various biologically important ligands. Because of their high stability, increased cellular uptake, ease of chemical modification, minor production costs, and convenient storage, G-rich aptamers became interesting therapeutic and diagnostic alternatives to antibodies. In this review, we describe the recent advances in the development of G-quadruplex based aptamers by focusing on the therapeutic and diagnostic potential of this exceptional class of nucleic acid structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Roxo
- Department of Nucleic Acids Bioengineering, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Weronika Kotkowiak
- Department of Nucleic Acids Bioengineering, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Anna Pasternak
- Department of Nucleic Acids Bioengineering, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland.
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Raje S, Pandav K, Barthwal R. Dual mode of binding of anti cancer drug epirubicin to G-quadruplex [d-(TTAGGGT)] 4 containing human telomeric DNA sequence induces thermal stabilization. Bioorg Med Chem 2019; 27:115131. [PMID: 31685331 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2019.115131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Epirubicin exerts its anti cancer action by blocking DNA/RNA synthesis and inhibition of topoisomerase-II enzyme. Recent reports on its influence on telomere maintenance, suggest interaction with G-quadruplex DNA leading to multiple strategies of action. The binding of epirubicin with parallel stranded inter molecular G-quadruplex DNA [d-(TTAGGGT)]4 comprising human telomeric DNA sequence TTAGGG was investigated by absorption, fluorescence, circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The epirubicin binds as monomer to G-quadruplex DNA with affinity, Kb1 = 3.8 × 106 M-1 and Kb2 = 2.7 × 106 M-1, at two independent sites externally. The specific interactions induce thermal stabilization of DNA by 13.2-26.3 °C, which is likely to come in the way of telomere association with telomerase enzyme and contribute to epirubicin-induced apoptosis in cancer cell lines. The findings pave the way for drug designing in view of the possibility of altering substituent groups on anthracyclines to enhance efficacy using alternate mechanism of its interaction with G4 DNA, causing interference in telomere maintenance pathway by inducing telomere dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailja Raje
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, India
| | - Kumud Pandav
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, India
| | - Ritu Barthwal
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, India.
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