Synthesis and DNA triplex formation of an oligonucleotide containing an urocanamide

An urocanamide nucleoside designed and previously tested as its protected ribose derivative in aprotic solvents for binding a cytosine-guanine (CG) Watson-Crick base pair was successfully incorporated into a triplex forming oligonucleotide. Binding affinity and specificity of this nonnatural nucleoside were studied in a triple helix with duplex targets containing all four possible Watson-Crick base pairs opposite the nucleoside analog in the third strand. UV melting experiments indicate the formation of a well-defined triplex with specific binding of the urocanamide analog to a CG inversion of the homopurine-homopyrimidine target. However, binding affinities in the triplex are weak and much lower when compared to the canonical base triads.     

Dual recognition of a C-G pyrimidine-purine inversion site: synthesis and binding properties of triplex forming oligonucleotides containing 2′-aminoethoxy-5-methyl-1H-pyrimidin-2-one ribonucleosides

The synthesis of a new ribonucleoside analogue, which combines two modifications, namely a 2′-aminoethoxy side-chain on the ribose and a 5-methyl-1H-pyrimidin-2-one (^4HT) unit as a base replacement, is presented. This building block was incorporated into triplex forming oligonucleotides and the binding properties to CG inversion sites in DNA duplex targets were studied. The data clearly show that the ^4HT base selectively recognizes the CG base-pair, while the aminoethoxy chain adds to the overall stability of the triple helix.     

Formation and stability of a Janus-Wedge type of DNA triplex

A new type of DNA targeting with the formation of a Janus-Wedge (J-W) triple helix is described. The "wedge" residue (W) attached to a PNA backbone is designed to insert itself into double-stranded DNA and base pair with both Watson-Crick faces. To study the stability of such an assembly, we have examined the formation of the J-W triplex with dC8 - T8 target sequence. The use of this target sequence permits the study of this new helix form without competing Watson-Crick interactions between the two target residues. Studies indicate that the W strand binds to both target strands, with defined polarity and a stability (-15.2 kcal/mol) that is roughly the sum of the two independent duplex interactions.     

A 4-[(3R,4R)-dihydroxypyrrolidino]pyrimidin-2-one nucleobase for a CG base pair in triplex DNA

In order to expand target sequences in triplex DNA formation, the development of a nucleobase that recognizes a CG base pair in dsDNA was attempted. A 4-[(3R,4R)-dihydroxypyrrolidino]pyrimidin-2-one nucleobase was found to recognize a CG base pair with high sequence-selectivity.     

Silver Ions in Non‐canonical DNA Base Pairs: Metal‐Mediated Mismatch Stabilization of 2′‐Deoxyadenosine and 7‐Deazapurine Derivatives with 2′‐Deoxycytidine and 2′‐Deoxyguanosine

Novel silver‐mediated dA?dC, dA*?dC, and dA*?dG base pairs were formed in a natural DNA double helix environment (dA* denotes 7‐deaza‐dA, 7‐deaza‐7‐iodo‐dA, and 7‐cyclopropyl‐7‐deaza‐dA). 7‐Deazapurine nucleosides enforce silver ion binding and direct metal‐mediated base pair formation to their Watson–Crick face. New phosphoramidites were prepared from 7‐deaza‐dA, 7‐deaza‐7‐iodo‐dA, and 7‐cyclopropyl‐7‐deaza‐dA, which contain labile isobutyryl protecting groups. Solid‐phase synthesis furnished oligonucleotides that contain mismatches in near central positions. Increased thermal stabilities (higher T_m values) were observed for oligonucleotide duplexes with non‐canonical dA*?dC and dA?dC pairs in the presence of silver ions. The stability of the silver‐mediated base pairs was pH dependent. Silver ion binding was not observed for the dA?dG mismatch but took place when mismatches were formed between 7‐deazaadenine and guanine. The specific binding of silver ions was confirmed by stoichiometric UV titration experiments, which proved that one silver ion is captured by one mismatch. The stability increase of canonical DNA mismatches might have an impact on cellular DNA repair.     

Fluorescence Quenching over Short Range in a Donor‐DNA‐Acceptor System

A new donor‐DNA‐acceptor system has been synthesized containing Nile red‐modified 2′‐deoxyuridine as charge donor and 6‐N,N‐dimethylaminopyrene‐modified 2′‐deoxyuridine as acceptor to investigate the charge transfer in DNA duplexes using fluorescence spectroscopy and time‐resolved femtosecond pump‐probe techniques. Fluorescence quenching experiments revealed that the quenching efficiency of Nile red depends on two components: 1) the presence of a charge acceptor and 2) the number of intervening CG and AT base pairs between donor and acceptor. Surprisingly, the quenching efficiency of two base pairs (73 % for CG and the same for AT) is higher than that for one base pair (68 % for CG and 37 % for AT), while at a separation of three base pairs less than 10 % quenching is observed. A comparison with the results of time‐resolved measurements revealed a correlation between quenching efficiency and the first ultrafast time constant suggesting that quenching proceeds via a charge transfer from the donor to the acceptor. All transients are satisfactorily described with two decays: a rapid charge transfer with 600 fs (～10¹² s^?1) that depends strongly and in a non‐linear fashion on the distance between donor and acceptor, and a slower time constant of a few picoseconds (～10¹¹ s^?1) with weak distance dependence. A third time constant on a nanosecond time scale represents the fluorescence lifetime of the donor molecule. According to these results and time‐dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations a combination of single‐step superexchange and multistep hopping mechanisms can be proposed for this short‐range charge transfer. Furthermore, significantly less quenching efficiency and slower charge transfer rates at very short distances indicate that the direct interaction between donor and acceptor leads to a local structural distortion of DNA duplexes which may provide some uncertainty in identifying the charge transfer rates in short‐range systems.     

Pyrrolo‐dC Metal‐Mediated Base Pairs in the Reverse Watson–Crick Double Helix: Enhanced Stability of Parallel DNA and Impact of 6‐Pyridinyl Residues on Fluorescence and Silver‐Ion Binding

Reverse Watson–Crick DNA with parallel‐strand orientation (ps DNA) has been constructed. Pyrrolo‐dC (PyrdC) nucleosides with phenyl and pyridinyl residues linked to the 6 position of the pyrrolo[2,3‐d]pyrimidine base have been incorporated in 12‐ and 25‐mer oligonucleotide duplexes and utilized as silver‐ion binding sites. Thermal‐stability studies on the parallel DNA strands demonstrated extremely strong silver‐ion binding and strongly enhanced duplex stability. Stoichiometric UV and fluorescence titration experiments verified that a single ^2pyPyrdC–^2pyPyrdC pair captures two silver ions in ps DNA. A structure for the PyrdC silver‐ion base pair that aligns 7‐deazapurine bases head‐to‐tail instead of head‐to‐head, as suggested for canonical DNA, is proposed. The silver DNA double helix represents the first example of a ps DNA structure built up of bidentate and tridentate reverse Watson–Crick base pairs stabilized by a dinuclear silver‐mediated PyrdC pair.     

A Highly Stabilizing Silver(I)‐Mediated Base Pair in Parallel‐Stranded DNA

The first parallel‐stranded DNA duplex with Hoogsteen base pairing that readily incorporates an Ag⁺ ion into an internal mispair to form a metal‐mediated base pair has been created. Towards this end, the highly stabilizing 6 FP ‐Ag⁺‐ 6 FP base pair comprising the artificial nucleobase 6‐furylpurine ( 6 FP ) was devised. A combination of temperature‐dependent UV spectroscopy, CD spectroscopy, and DFT calculations was used to confirm the formation of this base pair. The nucleobase 6 FP is capable of forming metal‐mediated base pairs both by the Watson–Crick edge (i.e. in regular antiparallel‐stranded DNA) and by the Hoogsteen edge (i.e. in parallel‐stranded DNA), depending on the oligonucleotide sequence and the experimental conditions. The 6 FP ‐Ag⁺‐ 6 FP base pair within parallel‐stranded DNA is the most strongly stabilizing Ag⁺‐mediated base pair reported to date for any type of nucleic acid, with an increase in melting temperature of almost 15 °C upon the binding of one Ag⁺ ion.     

Targeting DNA base pair mismatch with artificial nucleobases. Advances and perspectives in triple helix strategy

This review, divided into three sections, describes the contribution of the chemists' community to the development and application of triple helix strategy by using artificial nucleic acids, particularly for the recognition of DNA sequences incorporating base pair inversions. Firstly, the development of nucleobases that recognise CG inversion is surveyed followed secondly by specific recognition of TA inverted base pair. Finally, we point out in the last section recent perspectives and applications, driven from knowledge in nucleic acids interactions, in the growing field of nanotechnology and supramolecular chemistry at the border area of physics, chemistry and molecular biology.     

Imidazolo‐dC Metal‐Mediated Base Pairs: Purine Nucleosides Capture Two Ag+ Ions and Form a Duplex with the Stability of a Covalent DNA Cross‐Link

8‐Phenylimidazolo‐dC (^phImidC, 2 ) forms metal‐mediated DNA base pairs by entrapping two silver ions. To this end, the fluorescent “purine” 2′‐deoxyribonucleoside 2 has been synthesised and converted into the phosphoramidite 6 . Owing to the ease of nucleobase deprotonation, the new Ag⁺‐mediated base pair containing a “purine” skeleton is much stronger than that derived from the pyrrolo‐ [3,4‐d]pyrimidine system (^phPyrdC, 1 ). The silver‐mediated ^phImidC–^phImidC base pair fits well into the DNA double helix and has the stability of a covalent cross‐link. The formation of such artificial metal base pairs might not be limited to DNA but may be applicable to other nucleic acids such as RNA, PNA and GNA as well as other biopolymers.     

Selective formation of stable triplexes including a TA or a CG interrupting site with new bicyclic nucleoside analogues (WNA)

Triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) are potential DNA-targeting molecules and would become powerful tools for genomic research. As the stabilization of the TFO is partially provided by hydrogen bonds to purine bases, the most stable triplexes form with homopurine/homopyrimidine sequences, and a pyrimidine base in the purine strand of the duplex interrupts triplex formation. If a TFO can recognize sequences including such an interrupting site, the target regions in the genome would be expanded to a greater extent. However, this problem has not been generally solved despite extensive studies. We have previously reported a new base analogue (WNA) constructed of three parts, a benzene ring, a heterocyclic ring, and a bicyclic skeleton to hold these two parts. In this study, we have further investigated modification of WNA systematically and determined two useful WNA analogues, WNA-beta T and WNA-beta C, for selective stabilization of triplexes at a TA and a CG interrupting site, respectively. The triplexes with WNA analogues have exhibited an interesting property in that they are more stable than natural-type triplexes even at low Mg(2+) concentration. From comparison of the results with H-WNA-beta T lacking benzene and those with WNA-H without thymine, it has been suggested that benzene is a major contributor for triplex stability and thymine provides selectivity. Thus, it has been successfully demonstrated that WNA-beta T/TA and WNA-beta C/CG combinations may expand triplex recognition codes in addition to the natural A/AT and G/GC base triplet codes. The results of this study will provide useful information for the design of new WNA analogues to overcome inherent problems for further expansion of triplex recognition codes.     

Studies on the Extension of Sequence‐independence and the Enhancement of DNA Triplex Formation

A more elaborate sequence‐independent triple‐helix formation viability study was carried out and extended from a recombination‐like triple‐helical DNA motif of a previous study (J. Mol. Recognition 14, 122–139 (2001)). The intended triple‐helix was formed by mixing one part of a DNA hairpin duplex and one part of a single (or third) strand identical to one of the duplex strands and complementary to the other strand. In contrast to the common purine and pyrimidine motifs in triple‐stranded DNA, the strands of the recombination‐like motif are not monotonously built from pyrimidine only, or purine only, in the sequence. The stability of the recombination‐like motif triplexes with varying sequences was monitored by UV thermal melting curves. The results showed that the order of the stability of the R‐form DNA base triads (J. Mol. Biol., 239, 181–200 (1994)) is G*(G ○ C) > C*(C ○ G) > A*(A ○ T) >T*(T ○ A) (the Watson‐Crick base pair is denoted in the parentheses) in 200 mM NaCl, at pH 7. In an attempt to increase the stability of the triplex in the recombination‐like motif, we replaced cytidine by 5‐methylcytidine (^mC) of the third strand. There is a general trend that ^mC modification stabilizes the complex (<2 °C per ^mC). The complex is furthermore stabilized by Mg²⁺ ion. The Tm increases from 7 to 2 °C from less stable to highly stable triplex by 20 mM Mg²⁺ ion in solution.     

Isoguanine and 5‐Methyl‐Isocytosine Bases,In Vitro and In Vivo

The synthesis, base‐pairing properties and in vitro and in vivo characteristics of 5‐methyl‐isocytosine (isoC^Me) and isoguanine (isoG) nucleosides, incorporated in an HNA(h) (hexitol nucleic acid)–DNA(d) mosaic backbone, are described. The required h‐isoG phosphoramidite was prepared by a selective deamination as a key step. As demonstrated by T_m measurements the hexitol sugar showed slightly better mismatch discrimination against dT. The d‐isoG base mispairing follows the order T>G>C while the h‐isoG base mispairing follows the order G>C>T. The h‐ and d‐isoC^Me bases mainly mispair with G. Enzymatic incorporation experiments show that the hexitol backbone has a variable effect on selectivity. In the enzymatic assays, isoG misincorporates mainly with T, and isoC^Me misincorporates mainly with A. Further analysis in vivo confirmed the patterns of base‐pair interpretation for the deoxyribose and hexitol isoC^Me/isoG bases in a cellular context, through incorporation of the bases into plasmidic DNA. Results in vivo demonstrated that mispairing and misincorporation was dependent on the backbone scaffold of the base, which indicates rational advances towards orthogonality.     

Reversal of a Single Base‐Pair Step Controls Guanine Photo‐Oxidation by an Intercalating Ruthenium(II) Dipyridophenazine Complex

Small changes in DNA sequence can often have major biological effects. Here the rates and yields of guanine photo‐oxidation by Λ‐[Ru(TAP)₂(dppz)]²⁺ have been compared in 5′‐{CCGG AT CCGG}₂ and 5′‐{CCGG TA CCGG}₂ using pico/nanosecond transient visible and time‐resolved IR (TRIR) spectroscopy. The inefficiency of electron transfer in the TA sequence is consistent with the 5′‐TA‐3′ versus 5′‐AT‐3′ binding preference predicted by X‐ray crystallography. The TRIR spectra also reveal the differences in binding sites in the two oligonucleotides.     

High‐Resolution Crystal Structure of a Silver(I)–RNA Hybrid Duplex Containing Watson–Crick‐like CSilver(I)C Metallo‐Base Pairs

Metallo‐base pairs have been extensively studied for applications in nucleic acid‐based nanodevices and genetic code expansion. Metallo‐base pairs composed of natural nucleobases are attractive because nanodevices containing natural metallo‐base pairs can be easily prepared from commercially available sources. Previously, we have reported a crystal structure of a DNA duplex containing T? Hg^II? T base pairs. Herein, we have determined a high‐resolution crystal structure of the second natural metallo‐base pair between pyrimidine bases C? Ag^I? C formed in an RNA duplex. One Ag^I occupies the center between two cytosines and forms a C? Ag^I? C base pair through N3? Ag^I? N3 linear coordination. The C? Ag^I? C base pair formation does not disturb the standard A‐form conformation of RNA. Since the C? Ag^I? C base pair is structurally similar to the canonical Watson–Crick base pairs, it can be a useful building block for structure‐based design and fabrication of nucleic acid‐based nanodevices.     

Evaluation of Novel Third‐Strand Bases for the Recognition of a C⋅G Base Pair in the Parallel DNA Triple‐Helical Binding Motif

We describe the synthesis and the incorporation into oligonucleotides of the novel nucleoside building blocks 9, 10 , and 16 , carrying purine‐like double H‐bond‐acceptor bases. These base‐modified nucleosides were conceived to recognize selectively a cytosine⋅guanine (C⋅G) inversion site within a homopurine⋅homopyrimidine DNA duplex, when constituent of a DNA third strand designed to bind in the parallel binding motif. While building block 16 turned out to be incompatible with standard oligonucleotide‐synthesis conditions, UV/triplex melting experiments with third‐strand 15‐mers containing β‐D ‐nucleoside 6 (from 9 ) showed that recognition of the four natural Watson‐Crick base pairs follows the order G⋅C≈C⋅G>A⋅T>T⋅A. The recognition is sequence‐context sensitive, and G⋅C or C⋅G recognition does not involve protonated species of β‐D ‐nucleoside 6 . The data obtained fit (but do not prove) a structural model for C⋅G recognition via one conventional and one C−H⋅⋅⋅O H‐bond. The unexpected G⋅C recognition is best explained by third‐strand base intercalation. A comparison of the triplex binding properties of these new bases with those of 4‐deoxothymine (5‐methylpyrimidine‐2(1H)‐one, ^{4 H}T), previously shown to be C⋅G selective but energetically weak, is also described.     

Can Copper(II) Mediate Hoogsteen Base‐Pairing in a Left‐Handed DNA Duplex? A Pulse EPR Study

Pulse EPR spectroscopy is used to investigate possible structural features of the copper(II) ion coordinated to poly(dG‐dC)?poly(dG‐dC) in a frozen aqueous solution, and the structural changes of the polynucleotide induced by the presence of the metal ion. Two different copper species were identified and their geometry explained by a molecular model. According to this model, one species is exclusively coordinated to a single guanine with the N7 nitrogen atom forming a coordinative bond with the copper. In the other species, a guanine and a cytosine form a ternary complex together with the copper ion. A copper crosslink between the N7 of guanine and N3 of cytosine is proposed as the most probable coordination site. Moreover, no evidence was found for an interaction of either copper species with a phosphate group or equatorial water molecules. In addition, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy showed that the DNA of the Cu^II‐poly(dG‐dC)?poly(dG‐dC) adducts resembles the left‐handed Z‐form. These results suggest that metal‐mediated Hoogsteen base pairing, as previously proposed for a right‐handed DNA duplex, can also occur in a double‐stranded left‐handed DNA.     

DNA deformability at the base pair level

A complete set of harmonic force constants describing the DNA deformation energetics at the base pair level was obtained using unrestrained atomic-resolution molecular dynamics simulations of selected duplex oligonucleotides and subsequent analysis of structural fluctuations from the simulated trajectories. The deformation was described by the six base pair conformational parameters (buckle, propeller, opening, shear, stretch, stagger). The results for 13 AT pairs and 11 GC pairs in different sequence contexts suggest that buckle and propeller are very flexible (more than roll in TA dinucleotide steps), while stretch is exceptionally stiff. Only stretch and opening stiffness were found to depend unambiguously on the base pair identity (AT vs GC). The relationship of the results to a simple plates-and-springs model of base-base interactions is discussed.     

Formation of silver(I)-mediated DNA duplex and triplex through an alternative base pair of pyridine nucleobases

We have recently reported the first artificial nucleoside for alternative DNA base pairing through metal complexation (J. Org. Chem. 1999, 64, 5002-5003). In this context, we have accomplished a Ag(I)-mediated base pair or a base triplet in a double- or triple-stranded DNA, respectively, by introducing a pair of pyridine nucleobases in the middle of the sequence. As a result, the incorporated Ag(I) complex significantly stabilized the DNA duplex and triplex. This strategy would be expanded to the regulation of thermodynamic stability of DNA duplex or triplex by adding transition metal ions from outside, or to labeling applications in biotechnology.