Strong and Specific Recognition of CAG/CTG Repeat DNA (5'-dWGCWGCW-3') by a Cyclic Pyrrole-Imidazole Polyamide

Abnormally expanded CAG/CTG repeat DNA sequences lead to a variety of neurological diseases, such as Huntington's disease. Here, we synthesized a cyclic pyrrole-imidazole polyamide (cPIP), which can bind to the minor groove of the CAG/CTG DNA sequence. The double-stranded DNA melting temperature (Tm ) and surface plasmon resonance assays revealed the high binding affinity of the cPIP. In addition, next-generation sequencing showed that the cPIP had high specificity for its target DNA sequence

DNA Interstrand Crosslinks by H-pin Polyamide (S)-seco-CBI Conjugates

Although DNA interstrand crosslinking (ICL) agents are widely used as antitumor drugs, DNA sequence-specific ICL agents are quite rare. In this study, H-pin imidazole-pyrrole polyamide 1-(chloromethyl)-2, 3-dihydro-1H-benzo[e]indol-5-ol (seco-CBI) conjugates that produce sequence-specific DNA ICLs were designed and synthesized. Conjugates with H-pin polyamide and seco-CBI moieties were constructed to recognize a 7 bp DNA sequence, and their reactivity and selectivity in DNA alkylation were evaluated by using high-resolution denaturing gel electrophoresis and sequence-specific plasmid cleavage. One conjugate (6), which contained a chiral (S)-seco-CBI, exhibited greater sequence-specific ICL activity toward the target DNA sequence and was cytotoxic to a cancer cell line. Molecular modeling studies indicated that the greater activity of 6 resulted from the relative orientation of the cyclopropane group in the (S)-CBI unit

Sequence-specific DNA binding by long hairpin pyrrole–imidazole polyamides containing an 8-amino-3,6-dioxaoctanoic acid unit

With the aim of improving aqueous solubility, we designed and synthesized five N-methylpyrrole (Py)–N-methylimidazole (Im) polyamides capable of recognizing 9-bp sequences. Their DNA-binding affinities and sequence specificities were evaluated by SPR and Bind-n-Seq analyses. The design of polyamide 1 was based on a conventional model, with three consecutive Py or Im rings separated by a β-alanine to match the curvature and twist of long DNA helices. Polyamides 2 and 3 contained an 8-amino-3, 6-dioxaoctanoic acid (AO) unit, which has previously only been used as a linker within linear Py–Im polyamides or between Py–Im hairpin motifs for tandem hairpin. It is demonstrated herein that AO also functions as a linker element that can extend to 2-bp in hairpin motifs. Notably, although the AO-containing unit can fail to bind the expected sequence, polyamide 4, which has two AO units facing each other in a hairpin form, successfully showed the expected motif and a K[D] value of 16 nM was recorded. Polyamide 5, containing a β-alanine–β-alanine unit instead of the AO of polyamide 2, was synthesized for comparison. The aqueous solubilities and nuclear localization of three of the polyamides were also examined. The results suggest the possibility of applying the AO unit in the core of Py–Im polyamide compounds

Small molecule-based detection of non-canonical RNA G-quadruplex structures that modulate protein translation

Tandem repeats of guanine-rich sequences in RNA often form thermodynamically stable four-stranded RNA structures. Such RNA G-quadruplexes have long been considered to be linked to essential biological processes, yet their physiological significance in cells remains unclear. Here, we report a approach that permits the detection of RNA G-quadruplex structures that modulate protein translation in mammalian cells. The approach combines antibody arrays and RGB-1, a small molecule that selectively stabilizes RNA G-quadruplex structures. Analysis of the protein and mRNA products of 84 cancer-related human genes identified Nectin-4 and CapG as G-quadruplex-controlled genes whose mRNAs harbor non-canonical G-quadruplex structures on their 5′UTR region. Further investigations revealed that the RNA G-quadruplex of CapG exhibits a structural polymorphism, suggesting a possible mechanism that ensures the translation repression in a KCl concentration range of 25–100 mM. The approach described in the present study sets the stage for further discoveries of RNA G-quadruplexes

選択的DNA結合性リガンドを用いた非標準型DNA構造の機能解明へ向けて

京都大学0048新制・課程博士博士(理学)甲第21584号理博第4491号新制||理||1645(附属図書館)京都大学大学院理学研究科化学専攻(主査)教授 杉山 弘, 教授 秋山 芳展, 准教授 竹田 一旗学位規則第4条第1項該当Doctor of ScienceKyoto UniversityDGA

Rational design of specific binding hairpin Py-Im polyamides targeting human telomere sequences.

N-Methylpyrrole (Py)–N-methylimidazole (Im) polyamides are organic molecules that can recognize predetermined DNA sequences in a sequence-specific manner. Human telomeres contain regions of (TTAGGG)n repetitive nucleotide sequences at each end of chromosomes, and these regions protect the chromosome from deterioration or from fusion with neighboring chromosomes. The telomeres are disposable buffers at the ends of chromosomes that are truncated during cell division. Tandem hairpin Py–Im polyamide TH59, which recognizes human telomere sequences, was reported by Laemmli’s group in 2001. Here, we synthesized three types of Py–Im polyamides 1–3 based on TH59 for specific recognition of human telomere repeat sequences. Thermal melting temperature (Tm) measurements and surface plasmon resonance analysis were used to evaluate the abilities of the three types of Py–Im polyamides to discriminate between three kinds of DNA sequences. Significantly, the results showed that polyamides 1 and 2 have better affinities to TTAAGG than to TTAGGG. In contrast, polyamide 3 displayed good specificity to human telomere sequence, TTAGGG, as expected on the basis of Py–Im binding rule

Sequence-specific DNA alkylation and transcriptional inhibition by long-chain hairpin pyrrole-imidazole polyamide-chlorambucil conjugates targeting CAG/CTG trinucleotide repeats.

Introducing novel building blocks to solid-phase peptide synthesis, we readily synthesized long-chain hairpin pyrrole-imidazole (PI) polyamide-chlorambucil conjugates 3 and 4 via the introduction of an amino group into a GABA (γ-turn) contained in 3, to target CAG/CTG repeat sequences, which are associated with various hereditary disorders. A high-resolution denaturing polyacrylamide sequencing gel revealed sequence-specific alkylation both strands at the N3 of adenines or guanines in CAG/CTG repeats by conjugates 3 and 4, with 11bp recognition. In vitro transcription assays using conjugate 4 revealed that specific alkylation inhibited the progression of RNA polymerase at the alkylating sites. Chiral substitution of the γ-turn with an amino group resulted in higher binding affinity observed in SPR assays. These assays suggest that conjugates 4 with 11bp recognition has the potential to cause specific DNA damage and transcriptional inhibition at the alkylating sites

Recent Progress of Targeted G-Quadruplex-Preferred Ligands Toward Cancer Therapy

A G-quadruplex (G4) is a well-known nucleic acid secondary structure comprising guanine-rich sequences, and has profound implications for various pharmacological and biological events, including cancers. Therefore, ligands interacting with G4s have attracted great attention as potential anticancer therapies or in molecular probe applications. To date, a large variety of DNA/RNA G4 ligands have been developed by a number of laboratories. As protein-targeting drugs face similar situations, G-quadruplex-interacting drugs displayed low selectivity to the targeted G-quadruplex structure. This low selectivity could cause unexpected effects that are usually reasons to halt the drug development process. In this review, we address the recent research on synthetic G4 DNA-interacting ligands that allow targeting of selected G4s as an approach toward the discovery of highly effective anticancer drugs

G‑Quadruplex Induction by the Hairpin Pyrrole–Imidazole Polyamide Dimer

The G-quadruplex (G4) is one type of higher-order structure of nucleic acids and is thought to play important roles in various biological events such as regulation of transcription and inhibition of DNA replication. Pyrrole–imidazole polyamides (PIPs) are programmable small molecules that can sequence-specifically bind with high affinity to the minor groove of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). Herein, we designed head-to-head hairpin PIP dimers and their target dsDNA in a model G4-forming sequence. Using an electrophoresis mobility shift assay and transcription arrest assay, we found that PIP dimers could induce the structural change to G4 DNA from dsDNA through the recognition by one PIP dimer molecule of two duplex-binding sites flanking both ends of the G4-forming sequence. This induction ability was dependent on linker length. This is the first study to induce G4 formation using PIPs, which are known to be dsDNA binders. The results reported here suggest that selective G4 induction in native sequences may be achieved with PIP dimers by applying the same design strategy