Abstract
A facile imide coupling strategy for the one-step preparation of G-quadruplex ligands with varied core chemistries is described. The G-quadruplex stabilization of a library of nine compounds was examined using FRET melting experiments, and CD, UV-Vis, fluorescence and NMR titrations, identifying several compounds that were capable of stabilizing G-quadruplex DNA with interesting selectivity profiles. The best G4 ligand was identified as compound 3 , which was based on a perylene scaffold and exhibited 40-fold selectivity for a telomeric G-quadruplex over duplex DNA. Surprisingly, a tetra-substituted flexible core, compound 11 , also exhibited selective stabilization of G4 DNA over duplex DNA. The anticancer and antiparasitic activity of the library was also examined, with the lead compound 3 exhibiting nanomolar inhibition of T. brucei with 78-fold selectivity over MRC5 cells. The cellular localization of this compound was also studied via fluorescence microscopy. We found that uptake time was time dependant, with localization outside the nucleus and kinetoplast that could be due to strong fluorescence quenching in the presence of small amounts of DNA.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 7712-7721 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Chemistry - A European Journal |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 28 |
Early online date | 29 Mar 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 17 May 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:For funding, STGS thanks the EPSRC (EP/G036764/1 and EP/N509619/1) and NSERC, MPO thanks the EPSRC (EP/L015366/1), JCM/PP thank Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia Innovación y Universidades (Grants CTQ2015‐64275‐P and RTI2018‐099036‐B‐I00') and MCG thanks the European Research Council (ERC‐COG: 648239).
Funding Information:
For funding, STGS thanks the EPSRC (EP/G036764/1 and EP/N509619/1) and NSERC, MPO thanks the EPSRC (EP/L015366/1), JCM/PP thank Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia Innovaci?n y Universidades (Grants CTQ2015-64275-P and RTI2018-099036-B-I00') and MCG thanks the European Research Council (ERC-COG: 648239).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors. Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH
Structured keywords
- BCS and TECS CDTs
Keywords
- G-quadruplexes
- DNA
- ligand design approach
- anti cancer drugs
- anti parasitic drugs
- Antiprotozoal agents
- drug design
- amphiphiles
- aggregation