Biotinylated Cyclophane: Synthesis, Cyclophane-Avidin Conjugates, and Their Enhanced Guest-Binding Affinity

Cationic and anionic cyclophanes bearing a biotin moiety were synthesized as a water-soluble host (1a and 1b, respectively). Both hosts 1a and 1b were found to strongly bind avidin with binding constants of 1.3 × 10(8) M(-1), as confirmed by surface plasmon resonance measurements. The present conjugate of 1a with avidin (1a-avidin) showed an enhanced guest binding affinity toward fluorescence guests such as TNS and 2,6-ANS. The K values of 1a-avidin conjugate with TNS and 2,6-ANS were ~19-fold larger than those of monocyclic cyclophane 1a with the identical guests. Favorable hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions between 1a-avidin and TNS were suggested by computer-aided molecular modeling calculations. Moreover, addition of excess biotin to the complexes of 1a-avidin with the guests resulted in dissociation of 1a-avidin to avidin and 1a having less guest-binding affinity. Conversely, such enhancements in the guest-binding affinity were not obviously observed for the conjugate of anionic 1b with avidin (1b-avidin) due to electrostatic repulsion between anionic 1b and anionic guests.

Synthesis of dabsyl-appended cyclophanes and their heterodimer formation with pyrene-appended cyclophanes

As a quencher-type host, dabsyl-appended cyclophanes bearing positively and negatively charged side chains (1a and 1b, respectively) were synthesized. Formation of cyclophane heterodimers of 1a with anionic fluorescent cyclophane bearing a pyrene moiety 2b was confirmed by fluorescence titration experiments. The 1:1 binding constant (K) of 1a toward 2b was calculated to be 1.6 × 10(5) M(-1). On the other hand, almost no complexation affinity of 1a toward cationic analogue of fluorescent cyclophane 2a was confirmed by the identical methods, indicating that electrostatic interactions became effective in the formation of cyclophane heterodimers. In addition, van't Hoff analysis applied to the temperature-dependent K values for the heterodimer formation gave negative enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy changes (ΔS). The large and negative ΔH values as well as small and also negative ΔS values showed that the complexation is an exothermic and enthalpy-controlled but not entropy-driven process. A similar trend of molecular recognition was also confirmed for formation of cyclophane heterodimers of 1b with 2a by the identical methods.

Synthesis, guest-binding, and reduction-responsive degradation properties of water-soluble cyclophanes having disulfide moieties

Water-soluble cationic cyclophane having diphenyl disulfide moieties (1a) was synthesized as a reduction-responsive degradable host. The stoichiometry for the complex of 1a with anionic fluorescence guests, such as 4,4'-bis(1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonate) (Bis-ANS) and 4-(1-pyrene)-butanoic acid (PBA), was confirmed to be 1:1 host:guest by a Job plot. The binding constants (K) of 1a toward Bis-ANS and PBA were evaluated to be 6.7 × 10(3) and 4.5 × 10(4) M(-1), respectively, as confirmed by fluorescence spectroscopy. Reduction of disulfide bonds of 1a by dithiothreitol gave its reduced form having poor guest-binding affinity that led to release of the entrapped guest molecules to the bulk aqueous phase. Meanwhile, anionic cyclophane 1b, which was derived from 1a by a reaction with succinic anhydride, binds cationic anticancer drugs, such as daunorubicin hydrochloride (DNR) and doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX), with a K of 2.1 × 10(3) and 7.5 × 10(2) M(-1), respectively. A similar reduction-responsive guest release feature was observed when DNR and DOX were employed as a guest for complexation with 1b.