A strong preference for the TA/TA dinucleotide step discovered for an acridine-based, potent antitumor dsDNA intercalator, C-1305: NMR-driven structural and sequence-specificity studies

Sci Rep. 2020 Jul 16;10(1):11697. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-68609-8.

Abstract

Triazoloacridinone C-1305, a potent antitumor agent recommended for Phase I clinical trials, exhibits high activity towards a wide range of experimental colon carcinomas, in many cases associated with complete tumor regression. C-1305 is a well-established dsDNA intercalator, yet no information on its mode of binding into DNA is available to date. Herein, we present the NMR-driven and MD-refined reconstruction of the 3D structures of the d(CGATATCG)2:C-1305 and d(CCCTAGGG)2:C-1305 non-covalent adducts. In both cases, the ligand intercalates at the TA/TA site, forming well-defined dsDNA:drug 1:1 mol/mol complexes. Orientation of the ligand within the binding site was unambiguously established by the DNA/ligand proton-proton NOE contacts. A subsequent, NMR-driven study of the sequence-specificity of C-1305 using a series of DNA duplexes, allowed us to confirm a strong preference towards TA/TA dinucleotide steps, followed by the TG/CA steps. Interestingly, no interaction at all was observed with duplexes containing exclusively the AT/AT, GG/CC and GA/TC steps.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acridines / chemistry*
  • Adenine Nucleotides / chemistry*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry*
  • Base Sequence
  • Binding Sites
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • Drug Discovery / methods*
  • Intercalating Agents / chemistry*
  • Ligands
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular / methods*
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Thymine Nucleotides / chemistry*
  • Triazoles / chemistry*

Substances

  • Acridines
  • Adenine Nucleotides
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • C 1305
  • Intercalating Agents
  • Ligands
  • Thymine Nucleotides
  • Triazoles
  • DNA