DNA cleavage chemistry of pyridinium-based heterocyclic skipped aza-enediynes and targeting SV40 large T-antigen G-quadruplex DNA helicase activity by G-quadruplex interactive agents
Two diverse works regarding DNA-Drug Interaction are presented here. The first portion deals with covalent interactions between compounds that are derivatives of heterocyclic aza-enediynes and DNA (conventional Watson-Crick base paired double stranded DNA) and the second is related to non-covalent interactions of these compounds with G-quadruplex DNA. The aza-enediynes have been studied for their ability to undergo aza-variants of the Bergman and Myers cyclizations, and the potential role of the ensuing diradicals in DNA cleavage chemistry. The aza-Myers-Saito cyclization of aza-enyne allenes that are derived from base-promoted isomerization of skipped aza-enediynes has been recently reported. In the first part of the dissertation, the synthesis and DNA cleavage chemistry of a series of pyridinium skipped aza-enediynes (2-alkynyl-Npropargyl pyridine salts) are reported. Efficient DNA cleavage requires the presence of the skipped aza-enediyne functionality, and optimal DNA cleavage occurs at basic pH. An optimized analog containing a p-methoxyphenyl substituent was prepared. Studies with radiolabeled DNA duplexes reveal that this analog generates nonselective frank DNA strand breaks, via deoxyribosyl 4'-hydrogen atom abstraction, and also leads to oxidation of DNA guanine bases. This is the first report of enediynelike radical-based DNA cleavage by an agent designed to undergo an alternative diradical-generating cyclization. The second part is based upon the growing evidence for G-quadruplex DNA structures in genomic DNA and the presumed need to resolve these structures for replication. A prototypical replicative helicase - SV40 large T-antigen (T-ag), a multifunctional protein with duplex DNA helicase activity is shown to also unwind G-quadruplex DNA structures. A series of G-quadruplex-interactive agents, particularly perylene diimide derivatives, is explored for inhibition of T-ag duplex and G-quadruplex DNA unwinding activities, and it is revealed that certain perylene diimides are both potent and selective inhibitors of the G-quadruplex DNA helicase activity of T-ag. Surface plasmon resonance and fluorescence spectroscopic Gquadruplex DNA binding studies of these T-ag G-quadruplex helicase inhibitors have been carried out, demonstrating the importance of attributes in addition to binding affinity for G-quadruplex DNA that may be important for inhibition. The identification of potent and selective inhibitors of the G-quadruplex helicase activity of T-ag provides tools for probing the specific role of this activity in SV40 replication.Pharmac
