Heterocyclic Diamidines Induce Sequence Dependent Topological Changes in DNA; A Study Using Gel Electrophoresis

Diamidines are a class of compounds that target the minor groove of DNA and have antiparasitic and antimicrobial properties. Their mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated, but may include changes in DNA topology. In this study we have investigated such changes using methods of gel electrophoresis including ligation ladders and cyclization assays. We found that topology changes were sequence dependent. Compounds typically caused non-anomalously migrating ATATA sequences to migrate as if they were bent, while A5 sequences that normally migrated anomalously became less so in the presence of certain diamidines. Select compounds induced changes in cyclization efficiency that were also sequence dependent; DB75 significantly abolished cyclization in A5 containing sequences but enhanced it in sequences containing ATATA sites

Antiparasitic compounds that target DNA

Designed, synthetic heterocyclic diamidines have excellent activity against eukaryotic parasites that cause diseases such as sleeping sickness and leishmania and adversely affect millions of people each year. The most active compounds bind specifically and strongly in the DNA minor groove at AT sequences. The compounds enter parasite cells rapidly and appear first in the kinetoplast that contains the mitochondrial DNA of the parasite. With time the compounds are also generally seen in the cell nucleus but are not significantly observed in the cytoplasm. The kinetoplast decays over time and disappears from the mitochondria of treated cells. At this point the compounds begin to be observed in other regions of the cell, such as the acidocalcisomes. The cells typically die in 24–48 hours after treatment. Active compounds appear to selectively target extended AT sequences and induce changes in kinetoplast DNA minicircles that cause a synergistic destruction of the catenated kinetoplast DNA network and cell death

Induced topological changes in DNA complexes: influence of DNA sequences and small molecule structures

Heterocyclic diamidines are compounds with antiparasitic properties that target the minor groove of kinetoplast DNA. The mechanism of action of these compounds is unknown, but topological changes to DNA structures are likely to be involved. In this study, we have developed a polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis-based screening method to determine topological effects of heterocyclic diamidines on four minor groove target sequences: AAAAA, TTTAA, AAATT and ATATA. The AAAAA and AAATT sequences have the largest intrinsic bend, whereas the TTTAA and ATATA sequences are relatively straight. The changes caused by binding of the compounds are sequence dependent, but generally the topological effects on AAAAA and AAATT are similar as are the effects on TTTAA and ATATA. A total of 13 compounds with a variety of structural differences were evaluated for topological changes to DNA. All compounds decrease the mobility of the ATATA sequence that is consistent with decreased minor groove width and bending of the relatively straight DNA into the minor groove. Similar, but generally smaller, effects are seen with TTTAA. The intrinsically bent AAAAA and AAATT sequences, which have more narrow minor grooves, have smaller mobility changes on binding that are consistent with increased or decreased bending depending on compound structure