A Simple,High‐Yield Synthesis of DNA Duplexes Containing a Covalent,Thermally Cleavable Interstrand Cross‐Link at a Defined Location

Interstrand DNA–DNA cross‐links are highly toxic to cells because these lesions block the extraction of information from the genetic material. The pathways by which cells repair cross‐links are important, but not well understood. The preparation of chemically well‐defined cross‐linked DNA substrates represents a significant challenge in the study of cross‐link repair. Here a simple method is reported that employs “post‐synthetic” modifications of commercially available 2′‐deoxyoligonucleotides to install a single cross‐link in high yield at a specified location within a DNA duplex. The cross‐linking process exploits the formation of a hydrazone between a non‐natural N⁴‐amino‐2′‐deoxycytidine nucleobase and the aldehyde residue of an abasic site in duplex DNA. The resulting cross‐link is stable under physiological conditions, but can be readily dissociated and re‐formed through heating–cooling cycles.     

A Simple,High‐Yield Synthesis of DNA Duplexes Containing a Covalent,Thermally Cleavable Interstrand Cross‐Link at a Defined Location

Interstrand DNA–DNA cross‐links are highly toxic to cells because these lesions block the extraction of information from the genetic material. The pathways by which cells repair cross‐links are important, but not well understood. The preparation of chemically well‐defined cross‐linked DNA substrates represents a significant challenge in the study of cross‐link repair. Here a simple method is reported that employs “post‐synthetic” modifications of commercially available 2′‐deoxyoligonucleotides to install a single cross‐link in high yield at a specified location within a DNA duplex. The cross‐linking process exploits the formation of a hydrazone between a non‐natural N⁴‐amino‐2′‐deoxycytidine nucleobase and the aldehyde residue of an abasic site in duplex DNA. The resulting cross‐link is stable under physiological conditions, but can be readily dissociated and re‐formed through heating–cooling cycles.     

Cisplatin Adducts on a GGG Sequence within a DNA Duplex Studied by NMR Spectroscopy and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

The antitumor drug cisplatin (cis‐[PtCl₂(NH₃)₂]) reacts with cellular DNA to form GG intrastrand adducts between adjacent guanines as predominant lesions. GGG sites have been shown to be hotspots of platination. To study the structural perturbation induced by binding of cisplatin to two adjacent guanines of a GGG trinucleotide, we examined here the decanucleotide duplex d[(G₁C₂C₃ G₆T₇‐ C₈G₉C₁₀) ? d(G₁₁C₁₂G₁₃A₁₄C₁₅C₁₆C₁₇G₁₈‐ G₁₉C₂₀)] ( dsCG*G*G ) intrastrand cross‐linked at the G* guanines by cis‐{Pt(NH₃)₂}²⁺ using NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The NMR spectra of dsCG*G*G were found to be similar to those of previously characterized DNA duplexes cross‐linked by cisplatin at a pyG*G*X site (py=pyrimidine; X=C, T, A). This similarity of NMR spectra indicates that the base at the 3′‐side of the G*G*–Pt cross‐link does not affect the structure to a large extent. An unprecedented reversible isomerization between the duplex dsCG*G*G (bearing a –Pt chelate) and duplex dsGG*G*T (bearing a –Pt chelate) was observed, which yielded a 40:60 equilibrium between the two intrastrand GG–Pt cross‐links. No formation of interstrand cross‐links was observed. NMR spectroscopic data of dsCG*G*G indicated that the deoxyribose of the 5′‐G* adopts an N‐type conformation, and the cytidines C₃, C₁₅, and C₁₆ have average phase angles intermediate between S and N. The NMR spectroscopic chemical shifts of dsGG*G*T showed some fundamental differences to those of pyG*G*–platinum adducts but were in agreement with the NMR spectra reported previously for the DNA duplexes cross‐linked at an AG*G*C sequence by cisplatin or oxaliplatin. The presence of a purine instead of a pyrimidine at the 5′‐side of the G*G* cross‐link seems therefore to affect the structure of the XG* step significantly.     

Factors Affecting DNA–DNA Interstrand Cross‐Links in the Antiparallel 3′–3′ Sense: A Comparison with the 5′–5′ Directional Isomer

Reported herein is a study of the unusual 3′–3′ 1,4‐GG interstrand cross‐link (IXL) formation in duplex DNA by a series of polynuclear platinum anticancer complexes. To examine the effect of possible preassociation through charge and hydrogen‐bonding effects the closely related compounds [{trans‐PtCl(NH₃)₂}₂(μ‐trans‐Pt(NH₃)₂{NH₂(CH₂)₆NH₂}₂)]⁴⁺ (BBR3464, 1 ), [{trans‐PtCl(NH₃)₂}₂(μ‐NH₂(CH₂)₆NH₂)]²⁺ (BBR3005, 2 ), [{trans‐PtCl(NH₃)₂}₂(μ‐H₂N(CH₂)₃NH₂(CH₂)₄)]³⁺ (BBR3571, 3 ) and [{trans‐PtCl(NH₃)₂}₂{μ‐H₂N(CH₂)₃‐N(COCF₃)(CH₂)₄}]²⁺ (BBR3571‐COCF₃, 4 ) were studied. Two different molecular biology approaches were used to investigate the effect of DNA template upon IXL formation in synthetic 20‐base‐pair duplexes. In the “hybridisation directed” method the monofunctionally adducted top strands were hybridised with their complementary 5′‐end labelled strands; after 24 h the efficiency of interstrand cross‐linking in the 5′–5′ direction was slightly higher than in the 3′–3′ direction. The second method involved “postsynthetic modification” of the intact duplex; significantly less cross‐linking was observed, but again a slight preference for the 5′–5′ duplex was present. 2D [¹H, ¹⁵N] HSQC NMR spectroscopy studies of the reaction of [¹⁵N]‐ 1 with the sequence 5′‐d{TATACATGTATA}₂ allowed direct comparison of the stepwise formation of the 3′–3′ IXL with the previously studied 5′–5′ IXL on the analogous sequence 5′‐d(ATATGTACATAT)₂. Whereas the preassociation and aquation steps were similar, differences were evident at the monofunctional binding step. The reaction did not yield a single distinct 3′–3′ 1,4‐GG IXL, but numerous cross‐linked adducts formed. Similar results were found for the reaction with the dinuclear [¹⁵N]‐ 2 . Molecular dynamics simulations for the 3′–3′ IXLs formed by both 1 and 2 showed a highly distorted structure with evident fraying of the end base pairs and considerable widening of the minor groove.     

Fluorescence Quenching by Intercalation of a Pyrene Group Tethered to an N4‐modified Cytosine in Duplex DNA

A series of duplex DNA oligomers was prepared that contain a pyrene chromophore linked by a trimethylene chain (‐(CH₂)₃‐) to N⁴ of a cytosine. The pyrene group stabilizes the DNA as evidenced by an increase in melting temperature. The absorption spectrum of the linked pyrene chromophore shows a temperature‐dependent shift and there is also a strong induced circular dichroism spectrum attributed to the pyrene group. The fluorescence of the pyrene chromophore is strongly quenched at room temperature by linkage to the DNA, but it increases above the melting temperature. We attribute these observations to intramolecular intercalation of the pyrene group at a base pair adjacent to its linkage site at cytosine.     

Supramolecular hydrogen‐bonded networks in cytosinium nicotinate monohydrate and cytosinium isonicotinate cytosine dihydrate

The title compounds are proton‐transfer compounds of cytosine with nicotinic acid [systematic name: 4‐amino‐2‐oxo‐2,3‐dihydropyrimidin‐1‐ium nicotinate monohydrate (cytosinium nicotinate hydrate), C₄H₆N₃O⁺·C₆H₄NO₂⁻·H₂O, (I)] and isonicotinic acid [systematic name: 4‐amino‐2‐oxo‐2,3‐dihydropyrimidin‐1‐ium isonicotinate–4‐aminopyrimidin‐2(1H)‐one–water (1/1/2) (cytosinium isonicotinate cytosine dihydrate), C₄H₆N₃O⁺·C₆H₄NO₂⁻·C₄H₅N₃O·2H₂O, (II)]. In (I), the cation and anion are interlinked by N—H...O hydrogen bonding to form a one‐dimensional tape. These tapes are linked through water molecules to form discrete double sheets. In (II), the cytosinium–cytosine base pairs are connected by triple hydrogen bonds, leading to one‐dimensional polymeric ribbons. These ribbons are further interconnected via nicotinate–water and water–water hydrogen bonding, resulting in an overall three‐dimensional network.     

A hydrogen‐bonded heterodimer of 1‐(4‐hexyloxyphenyl)pyridin‐4(1H)‐one with 4‐cyano­benzoic acid

The two components of the title heterodimer, C₁₇H₂₁NO₂·C₈H₅NO₂, are linked end‐to‐end via O—H⋯O(=C) and C—H⋯O(=C) hydrogen‐bond inter­actions. Additional lateral C—H⋯O inter­actions link the dimers in a side‐by‐side fashion to produce wide infinite mol­ecular ribbons. Adjacent ribbons are inter­connected viaπ–π stacking and C—H⋯π(arene) inter­actions. This structure represents the first evidence of robust hydrogen‐bond formation between the moieties of pyridin‐4(1H)‐one and benzoic acid.     

2,6‐Diiodo‐4‐nitrophenol, 2,6‐diiodo‐4‐nitrophenyl acetate and 2,6‐diiodo‐4‐nitroanisole: interplay of hydrogen bonds,iodo–nitro interactions and aromatic π–π‐stacking interactions to give supramolecular structures in one,two and three dimensions

In 2,6‐di­iodo‐4‐nitro­phenol, C₆H₃I₂NO₃, the mol­ecules are linked, by an O—H?O hydrogen bond and two iodo–nitro interactions, into sheets, which are further linked into a three‐dimensional framework by aromatic π–π‐stacking interactions. The mol­ecules of 2,6‐di­iodo‐4‐nitro­phenyl acetate, C₈H₅I₂NO₄, lie across a mirror plane in space group Pnma, with the acetyl group on the mirror, and they are linked by a single iodo–nitro interaction to form isolated sheets. The mol­ecules of 2,6‐di­iodo‐4‐nitro­anisole, C₇H₅I₂NO₃, are linked into isolated chains by a single two‐centre iodo–nitro interaction.     

Bilayers in 4‐iodo‐N‐(2‐iodo‐4‐nitrophenyl)benzamide generated by a combination of an N—H⋯O=C hydrogen bond and two independent iodo–nitro interactions

Molecules of the title compound, C₁₃H₈I₂N₂O₃, are linked into C(4) chains by a single N—H⋯O=C hydrogen bond [H⋯O = 2.10 Å, N⋯O = 2.832 (5) Å and N—H⋯O = 140°]. Two independent two‐centre iodo–nitro interactions, both involving the same O atom but different I atoms [I⋯O = 3.205 (3) and 3.400 (3) Å, and C—I⋯O = 160.4 (2) and 155.7 (2)°], link the hydrogen‐bonded chains into bilayers.     

(1R,2R)‐1,2‐Di­phenyl‐1,2‐bis(8‐quinoline­sulfonyl­amino)ethyl­enedi­amine–acetone (1/1)

The crystal structure of the new chiral complex (1R,2R)‐1,2‐di­phenyl‐1,2‐bis(8‐quinoline­sulfonyl­amino)‐ ethyl­enedi­amine–acetone (1/1), C₃₂H₂₆N₄O₄S₂^.C₃H₆O, is reported. The conformation of the C₃₂H₂₆N₄O₄S₂ (BQSDA) mol­ecule is determined by a bifurcated N—H?N hydrogen‐bond system. The acetone of solvation is linked to the BQSDA mol­ecule by an N—H?O hydrogen bond.     

Visible‐Light‐Triggered Cross‐Linking of DNA Duplexes by Reversible [2+2] Photocycloaddition of Styrylpyrene

Reversible photo‐cross‐linking of a DNA duplex through the [2+2] photocycloaddition of styrylpyrene is reported. Styrylpyrene moieties on d ‐threoninol linkers were introduced into complementary positions on DNA strands. Irradiation of the styrylpyrene pair in the duplex with visible light at λ=455 nm induced a [2+2] photocycloaddition between styrylpyrenes that cross‐linked the two strands of the duplex. Two diastereomers were formed after [2+2] photocycloaddition as a result of rotation of the styrylpyrene residues. Also, the cycloreversion reaction was induced by UV light at λ=340 nm, which reversibly yielded the uncross‐linked strands.     

Nucleosides and Oligonucleotides with Diynyl Side Chains: Base Pairing and Functionalization of 2′‐Deoxyuridine Derivatives by the Copper(I)‐Catalyzed Alkyne?Azide ‘Click’ Cycloaddition

Oligonucleotides containing the 5‐substituted 2′‐deoxyuridines 1b or 1d bearing side chains with terminal C?C bonds are described, and their duplex stability is compared with oligonucleotides containing the 5‐alkynyl compounds 1a or 1c with only one nonterminal C?C bond in the side chain. For this, 5‐iodo‐2′‐deoxyuridine ( 3 ) and diynes or alkynes were employed as starting materials in the Sonogashira cross‐coupling reaction (Scheme 1). Phosphoramidites 2b – d were prepared (Scheme 3) and used as building blocks in solid‐phase synthesis. T_m Measurements demonstrated that DNA duplexes containing the octa‐1,7‐diynyl side chain or a diprop‐2‐ynyl ether residue, i.e., containing 1b or 1d , are more stable than those containing only one triple bond, i.e., 1a or 1c (Table 3). The diyne‐modified nucleosides were employed in further functionalization reactions by using the protocol of the Cu^I‐catalyzed Huisgen–Meldal–Sharpless [2+3] cycloaddition (‘click chemistry’) (Scheme 2). An aliphatic azide, i. e., 3′‐azido‐3′‐deoxythymidine (AZT; 4 ), as well as the aromatic azido compound 5 were linked to the terminal alkyne group resulting in 1H‐1,2,3‐triazole‐modified derivatives 6 and 7 , respectively (Scheme 2), of which 6 forms a stable duplex DNA (Table 3). The Husigen–Meldal–Sharpless cycloaddition was also performed with oligonucleotides (Schemes 4 and 5).     

The salt‐type 1:2 adduct of meso‐5,5,7,12,12,14‐hexa‐C‐methyl‐1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradecane (tet‐a) and 5‐nitroisophthalic acid forms a hydrogen‐bonded sheet ­structure containing two configur­ational isomers of [(tet‐a)H2]2+

The title compound, meso‐5,7,7,12,14,14‐hexa­methyl‐4,11‐di­aza‐1,8‐diazo­nia­cyclo­tetra­decane bis(3‐carboxy‐5‐nitro­benz­oate), C₁₆H₃₈N₄²⁺·2C₈H₄NO₆^?, is a salt in which the cation is present as two configurational isomers, disordered across a common centre of inversion in P, with occupancies of 0.847 (3) and 0.153 (3). The anions are linked into chains by a single O—H?O hydrogen bond [H?O 1.71 Å, O?O 2.5063 (15) Å and O—H?O 156°] and the cations link these anion chains into sheets by means of a range of N—H?O hydrogen bonds [H?O 1.81–2.53 Å, N?O 2.718 (5)–3.3554 (19) Å and N—H?O 146–171°].     

Impedimetric DNA‐Based Biosensor for Silver Ions Detection with Hemin/G‐Quadruplex Nanowire as Enhancer

A DNA‐based biosensor was reported for detection of silver ions (Ag⁺) by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with [Fe(CN)₆]^4?/3? as redox probe and hybridization chain reaction (HCR) induced hemin/G‐quadruplex nanowire as enhanced label. In the present of target Ag⁺, Ag⁺ interacted with cytosine‐cytosine (C? C) mismatch to form the stable C? Ag⁺? C complex with the aim of immobilizing the primer DNA on electrode, which thus triggered the HCR to form inert hemin/G‐quadruplex nanowire with an amplified EIS signal. As a result, the DNA biosensor showed a high sensitivity with the concentration range spanning from 0.1 nM to 100 µM and a detection limit of 0.05 nM.     

Four 2‐amino‐6‐aryl‐4‐methoxy‐11H‐pyrimido[4,5‐b][1,4]benzodiazepines: similar molecular structures but different crystal structures

2‐Amino‐4‐methoxy‐6‐phenyl‐11H‐pyrimido[4,5‐b][1,4]benzodiazepine, C₁₈H₁₅N₅O, (I), and its 6‐(2‐fluorophenyl)‐, 6‐(3‐nitrophenyl)‐ and 6‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐ analogues, viz. C₁₈H₁₄FN₅O, (II), C₁₈H₁₄N₆O₃, (III), and C₁₉H₁₇N₅O₂, (IV), respectively, all adopt molecular conformations which are almost identical, containing boat‐shaped seven‐membered rings. In each structure, paired N—H...N hydrogen bonds link the molecules into centrosymmetric dimers. In each of (I)–(III), the dimers are further linked, forming a different three‐dimensional framework in each case, while in compound (IV) the dimers are linked into sheets. The significance of this study lies in the observation of different crystal structures in four compounds whose molecular structures are very similar.     

Three‐dimensional aggregation in 2‐hydroxy‐3‐iodo‐5‐nitrobenzaldehyde involving C—H⋯O,iodo–nitro and aromatic π–π stacking interactions,and isolated dimers in disordered 2,4‐diiodo‐6‐nitroanisole

In 2‐hydroxy‐3‐iodo‐5‐nitro­benz­aldehyde, C₇H₄INO₄, the mol­ecules are linked into sheets by a combination of C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and two‐centre iodo–nitro interactions, and these sheets are linked by aromatic π–π stacking interactions. Molecules of 2,4‐di­iodo‐6‐nitro­anisole, C₇H₅I₂NO₃, are disordered, with the nitro group and one of the I substituents each occupying common sets of sites with 0.5 occupancy. The mol­ecules are linked into isolated centrosymmetric dimeric units by a single iodo–nitro interaction.     

Hydrogen bonding in nitroaniline analogues: hydrogen‐bonded sheets in 2‐amino‐4,6‐dimethoxy‐5‐nitropyrimidine and π‐stacked hydrogen‐bonded sheets in 4‐amino‐2,6‐dimethoxy‐5‐nitropyrimidine

In 2‐amino‐4,6‐di­methoxy‐5‐nitro­pyrimidine, C₆H₈N₄O₄, the mol­ecules are linked by one N—H⋯N and one N—H⋯O hydrogen bond to form sheets built from alternating R(8) and R(32) rings. In isomeric 4‐amino‐2,6‐di­methoxy‐5‐nitro­pyrimidine, C₆H₈N₄O₄, which crystallizes with Z′ = 2 in P, the two independent mol­ecules are linked into a dimer by two independent N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds. These dimers are linked into sheets by a combination of two‐centre C—H⋯O and three‐centre C—H⋯(O)₂ hydrogen bonds, and the sheets are further linked by two independent aromatic π–π‐stacking interactions to form a three‐dimensional structure.     

Heterochiral DNA with Complementary Strands with α-d and β-d Configurations: Hydrogen-Bonded and Silver-Mediated Base Pairs with Impact of 7-Deazapurines Replacing Purines

Heterochiral DNA with hydrogen-bonded and silver-mediated base pairs have been constructed using complementary strands with nucleosides with α-d or β-d configuration. Anomeric phosphoramidites were employed to assemble the oligonucleotides. According to the T_m values and thermodynamic data, the duplex stability of the heterochiral duplexes was similar to that of homochiral DNA, but mismatch discrimination was better in heterochiral DNA. Replacement of purines by 7-deazapurines resulted in stable parallel duplexes, thereby confirming Watson–Crick-type base pairing. When cytosine was facing cytosine, thymine or adenine residues, duplex DNA formed silver-mediated base pairs in the presence of silver ions. Although the CD spectra of single strands with α-d configuration display mirror-like shapes to those with the β-d configuration, the CD spectra of the hydrogen-bonded duplexes and those with a limited number of silver pairs show a B-type double helix almost indistinguishable from natural DNA. Nonmelting silver ion–DNA complexes with entirely different CD spectra were generated when the number of silver ions was equal to the number of base pairs.     

Synthesis and crystal structures of a 3‐acetylated (20S,24S)‐ocotillol‐type saponin and its C‐24 epimer

In order to study the in vivo protective effect on myocardial ischemia, (20S ,24R )‐epoxydammarane‐12β,25‐diol, (V), and (20S ,24S )‐epoxydammarane‐12β,25‐diol, (VI), were synthesized through a novel synthetic route. Two key intermediates, namely (20S ,24R )‐3‐acetyl‐20,24‐epoxydammarane‐3β,12β,25‐triol, (III) [obtained as the hemihydrate, C₃₂H₅₄O₅·0.5H₂O, (IIIa ), and the ethanol hemisolvate, C₃₂H₅₄O₅·0.5C₂H₅OH, (IIIb ), with identical conformations but different crystal packings], and (20S ,24S )‐3‐acetyl‐20,24‐epoxydammarane‐3β,12β,25‐triol, C₃₂H₅₄O₅, (IV), were obtained during the synthesis. The structures were confirmed by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and HRMS analyses, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Molecules of (IIIa ) are extended into a two‐dimensional network constructed with water molecules linked alternately through intermolecular O—H…O hydrogen bonds, which are further stacked into a three‐dimensional network. Compound (IIIb ) contains two completely asymmetric molecules, which are linked in a disordered manner through intermolecular C—H…O hydrogen bonds. While the crystal stacks in compound (IV) are linked via weak C—H…O hydrogen bonds, the hydrogen‐bonded chains extend helically along the crystallographic b axis.