A tutorial review for employing enzymes for the construction of G-quadruplex-based sensing platforms

With rapid advances in the field of DNA chemistry, nucleic acids and DNA-modifying enzymes have recently emerged as versatile components for the construction of oligonucleotide-based sensors. Meanwhile, the G-quadruplex motif has been widely employed for the development of DNA-based assays due to its diverse structural variety. In this tutorial, we introduce the principles of G-quadruplex-based sensing and the use of DNA-modifying enzymes for sensor platform development. We also highlight recent studies of the application of DNA-modifying enzymes for the development of G-quadruplex-based luminescent detection platforms with a view towards how those enzymes play an important role in sensitivity enhancement.     

Chemical and structural biology of nucleic acids and protein-nucleic acid complexes for novel drug discovery

Since nucleic acids(DNA and RNA) play very important roles in cells,they are molecular targets of many clinically used drugs,such as anticancer drugs and antibiotics.Because of clinical demands for treating various deadly cancers and drug-resistant strains of pathogens,there are urgent needs to develop novel therapeutic agents.Targeting nucleic acids hasn’t been the mainstream of drug discovery in the past,and the lack of 3D structural information for designing and developing drug specificity is one of the ...     

核酸碱基的非谐性振动:Ⅲ,DNA叠加二聚体的一维和二维红外光谱

用量子化学计算方法研究了DNA碱基单体及其15个B型和2个G-四链体的叠加二聚体的非谐性振动光谱特征.研究发现,从碱基单体到二聚体,C=O伸缩模式之间的相互作用很强,表现在其非谐性振动频率和非谐性常数都发生了明显的改变,特别是在含碱基G的叠加体中.这些变化能在一维和二维红外光谱中很好地表现出来.利用振动模式的势能分布和非谐性常数的组成分析,讨论了叠加二聚体中C=O模式的离域化程度.     

靶向肿瘤因子c-MYC基因启动区G4-DNA的小分子药物设计及核磁共振研究进展

肿瘤基因MYC在人类70%癌细胞中高表达,抑制其转录是治疗肿瘤的有效手段.c-MYC启动子区P1近端的核酸酶超敏元件Ⅲ₁(NHE Ⅲ₁)控制MYC基因近90%的转录激活.NHE Ⅲ₁区域富含碱基G序列并且形成G-四链体(G4),调控c-MYC基因转录,是抗肿瘤药物靶标.但G4-DNA和G4-RNA的三维结构高度相似,小分子与其他G4(如端粒G4、mRNA G4、c-Kit G4等)的非特异性作用会产生小分子药物“脱靶”效应,同时小分子药物会诱导其他G4形成从而干扰正常细胞的功能,造成靶向c-MYC G4抗癌药物设计困难.本文综述了近些年靶向肿瘤因子c-MYC G4-DNA的小分子药物研究进展,及核磁共振(NMR)技术在G4-DNA和G4-RNA结构确定中的作用,为靶向c-MYC G4-DNA的小分子药物设计等相关研究工作提供参考.     

紫玉兰素A与人端粒G-四链体相互作用的光谱学研究,第一个木脂素类衍生物与G-四链体相互作用

人端粒G-四链体结构是指端粒末端富含鸟嘌呤(G)的DNA序列在一价阳离子(如K+和Na+)诱导下通过G碱基间Hoogsteen氢键连接形成的DNA二级结构.能够稳定端粒G-四链体的配体通常为端粒酶抑制剂,其可能成为抗肿瘤药物.应用CD,FRET,NMR光谱方法第一次较全面地研究了一种木脂素衍生物,紫玉兰素A (liliflorin A)与人端粒序列dGGG (TTAG(G)3G-四链体HTG21的相互作用,采用分子对接技术进一步研究紫玉兰素A与人端粒序列dTAGGG(TIAGC)3 G-四链体HTG23的结合位点.CD实验数据表明紫玉兰素A提高HTG21解链温度,FRET实验测得4.0μmol·L-1紫玉兰素A可以将HTG21稳定温度提高3.2℃.NMR实验结果表明,加入紫玉兰素A三小时后HTG21核磁谱图出现明显变化.分子对接结果表明紫玉兰素A结合到HTG23较宽沟槽上,结合位点为G9,G10,G16和G17.紫玉兰素A是第一个能够选择性稳定人端粒G四链体HTG21的木脂素类衍生物配体.实验结果为以人端粒G-四链体为靶点的抗肿瘤药物设计提供了新型候选化合物.     

用全内反射瞬逝场照明磁镊研究Bloom解旋G-四联体

G-四联体(G-quadruplex,G4)是广泛存在于细胞基因组中的一种DNA结构,在DNA的代谢如复制、转录、同源重组等过程中起重要作用.G4解旋酶近年来受到广泛研究,其中Bloom(BLM)解旋酶的研究已经相当丰富,但仍有一些基本问题不清楚.我们应用全内反射瞬逝场照明磁镊对BLM解旋G4的动力学过程进行了深入研究,观察到了BLM解旋G4的分步过程.相对于单分子荧光共振能量转移技术而言,借助磁镊的长时间观测性能,我们在近饱和三磷酸腺苷(ATP)浓度的实验体系中观察到BLM长时间反复解开G4或者长时间维持G4于打开状态的两种作用方式.最后,使用相同的实验条件做了单分子荧光共振能量转移实验,确定了加载2-3 pN的外力对BLM解旋G4没有显著影响.     

Flexible RuII Schiff Base Complexes: G-Quadruplex DNA Binding and Photo-Induced Cancer Cell Death

A series of new Ru^II Schiff base complexes built on the salphen moiety has been prepared. This includes four flexible monometallic Ru^II compounds and six rigid bimetallic analogues that contain Ni^II, Pd^II or Pt^II cations into the salphen complexation site. Steady state luminescence titrations illustrated the capacity of the compounds to photoprobe G-quadruplex (G4) DNA. Moreover, the vast array of the Schiff base structural changes allowed to extensively assess the influence of the ligand surface, flexibility and charge on the interaction of the compounds with G4 DNA. This was achieved thanks to circular dichroism melting assays and bio-layer interferometry studies that pointed up high affinities along with good selectivities of Ru^II Schiff base complexes for G4 DNA. In cellulo studies were carried out with the most promising compounds. Cellular uptake with location of the compounds in the nucleus as well as in the nucleolus was observed. Cell viability experiments were performed with U2OS osteosarcoma cells in the dark and under light irradiation which allowed the measurements of IC₅₀ values and photoindexes. They showed the substantial role played by light irradiation in the activity of the drugs in addition to the low cytotoxicity of the molecules in the dark. Altogether, the reported results emphasize the promising properties of Ru^II Schiff base complexes as a new class of candidates for developing potential G4 DNA targeting diagnostic or therapeutic compounds.     

A dual-amplification aptasensor for highly sensitive detection of thrombin based on the functionalized graphene-Pd nanoparticles composites and the hemin/G-quadruplex

In this work, an advanced sandwich-type electrochemical aptasensor for thrombin was proposed by integrating hemin/G-quadruplex with functionalized graphene-Pd nanoparticles composites (PdNPs-RGs). The hemin/G-quadruplex formed by intercalating hemin into thrombin binding aptamer (TBA), firstly acted as a NADH oxidase, assisting the oxidation of NADH to NAD⁺ accompanying with the generation of H₂O₂ in the presence of dissolved O₂. Subsequently, the hemin/G-quadruplex acted as HRP-mimicking DNAzyme that rapidly bioelectrocatalyze the reduction of the produced H₂O₂. At the same time, the Pd nanoparticles supported on p-iodoaniline functionalized graphene were also adopted to catalyze the reduction of H₂O₂. Thus, with the dual catalysis, a dramatically amplified electrochemical signal could be obtained. Besides, the avidin–biotin system for binding aptamer sequences on electrodes not only improved the sensitivity of thrombin analysis but also obtained an acceptable repeatability of the aptasensor. With several factors mentioned above, a wide linear ranged from 0.1 pM to 50 nM was acquired with a relatively low detection limit of 0.03 pM (defined as S/N = 3). These excellent performances provided our approach a promising way for ultrasensitive assay in electrochemical aptasensors.     

基于聚集诱导荧光性质的免标记DNA四链体检测以及凝血酶的传感研究

基于带正电荷硅杂环戊二烯衍生物的聚集诱导荧光性质,利用其与富含G的单链DNA和四链体作用后的荧光强度差别,发展了一种免标记的DNA四链体检测方法,并将该方法应用于凝血酶的荧光分析.