Synthetic Metallomolecules as Agents for the Control of DNA Structure

Abstract

DNA is often referred to as the molecule of life, since it contains the instructions for making the required proteins. However, it is not simply a (genetic) code to be read; its structure has an important role in determining when and how much of a particular 5 protein is made at any point in time. Furthermore, there are a range of special DNA structures, e.g. Holliday junctions, which play essential roles for the existence of life as we know it or as it will become. In this tutorial review the normal B-DNA structure is summarised and metallomolecule binding modes discussed then used as a basis for examining DNA structures which can be induced by molecules containing metallic cations. The effects of aquated metal ions, cobalt ammine and ruthenium octahedral metal complexes, metallo helicates and platinum complexes such as cis-platin are discussed alongside techniques such as NMR, 10 X-ray crystallography, gel electrophoresis, circular dichroism, linear dichroism and molecular dynamics.

Structure-Based DNA-Targeting Strategies with Small Molecule Ligands for Drug Discovery

“…109 The intercalation decreases the DNA helical twist and lengthens the DNA. 110,111 Traditionally, it has been thought that only molecules with fusedring structures could be good intercalators. But it was later found that the presence of basic, cationic, or electrophilic functional groups is often necessary for a compound to be a good intercalator, while the fused-ring structures are not always required.…”

Is DNA a worm-like chain in Couette flow?:In search of persistence length, a critical review

“…A definition found in several references arises from polymer curvature. Persistence length is defined to be the length along the polymer after which the average deflection of the tangent is 1 radian 4,16 . That is, hjfji ¼ 1 where f is the angle between two tangents a persistence length apart along the polymer.…”

Synthesis and voltammetric detection of 1H-benzimidazole derivatives on the interaction with DNA

“…There are various types of interaction mechanisms between DNA and drug molecules including non-covalent groove binding, covalent binding / cross-linking, DNA cleaving and intercalation (20)(21)(22)(23). Intercalator molecules accumulate in hydrogen bounds of double stranded DNA (dsD-NA) due to their planar aromatic rings structure and are stacked themselves between bases (24).…”