Exploring the differential recognition of DNA G-quadruplex targets by small molecules using dynamic combinatorial chemistry

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/anie.200705589

Tuning affinities: Dynamic combinatorial chemistry has been employed to explore the effect of chemical modifications on the DNA G-quadruplex binding properties of anoxazole-based peptide macrocycle. Two dynamic libraries of molecules, containing cationic and carbohydrate motifs, respectively, were screened by using structurally diverse nucleic acid targets (see scheme; each colored shape represents a cation or carbohydrate). (Chemical Equation Presented).

Full text of DOI:10.1002/anie.200705589

Angewandte
Chemie
DOI: 10.1002/anie.200705589
Dynamic Combinatorial Chemistry
Exploring the Differential Recognition of DNA G-Quadruplex Targets
by Small Molecules Using Dynamic Combinatorial Chemistry**
Anthony Bugaut, Katja Jantos, Jean-Luc Wietor, Raphal Rodriguez, Jeremy K. M. Sanders, and
Shankar Balasubramanian*
The search for small-molecule ligands of biological targets
remains a challenge with major implications for both funda-
mental studies and drug discovery.[1] We are interested in the
discovery of small molecules that specifically interact with
regulatory nucleic acid elements. Such molecules have the
potential to alter the expression of particular genes and thus
influence cellular functions.
Certain guanine-rich (G-rich) regions in genomic DNA
can form four-stranded structures, called G quadruplexes,
which have emerged as biologically important elements.[2] G-
quadruplex formation has been linked to cancer-related
biology, most notably by remodeling of the telomere structure
or by the regulation of oncogenic expression.[3] The two key
challenges in the design of small-molecule[4] ligands for
quadruplex DNA are: 1) to attain specificity for G-quadru-
plex-forming sequences over duplex DNA and 2) to achieve
specificity for a given G-quadruplex structure and/or G-
quadruplex-forming sequence. The latter criterion has
become more important in the light of the recently revealed
prevalence of G-quadruplex-forming sequences in the human
genome,[5a,b] and particularly in promoter regions.[5c]
combinatorial library (DCL) upon introduction of a target
can be used as indicators for attractive interactions between
the target and the DCL members. Since its conception, there
have been few examples involving nucleic acids as targets.[8]
We previously showed that the assembly of molecules that
bind to a DNA quadruplex can be templated from a DCL and
that DCC can be applied to the selection of ligands that
specifically bind a duplex over a quadruplex.[8d,g]
We recently reported on a promising class of quadruplex-
binding ligands based on an oxazole–peptide macrocycle.[9]
We found that both the number and the length of simple
alkylamine side chains appended to this platform could
slightly influence quadruplex affinity. To investigate by DCC
the potential of different chemical motifs for discrimination in
quadruplex binding, we synthesized a thiol analogue of this
platform (1) and two libraries of side-chain building blocks
based on para-benzylic thiols (Scheme 1).[10]
Although G quadruplexes all contain G quartets, there is
considerable scope for structural variations within the loop
and groove regions,[6] suggesting that specificity in the
molecular recognition of a quadruplex is attainable. However,
the rational design of quadruplex-binding molecules requires
a good understanding of the interactions between the ligand
and its host. Owing to the paucity of structural data and the
dynamic nature of G quadruplexes, combinatorial searches
are appealing.
Herein, we report on a study that employs a dynamic
combinatorial approach to explore the differential recogni-
tion of G-quadruplex targets by closely related small mole-
cules. Dynamic combinatorial chemistry (DCC) is a powerful
approach for the rapid identification of binders for small
molecules and biological targets.[7] Owing to its adaptive
nature, small changes in the composition of a dynamic
[*] Dr. A. Bugaut, Dr. K. Jantos, Dr. J.-L. Wietor, Dr. R. Rodriguez,
Prof. J. K. M. Sanders, Prof. S. Balasubramanian
Department of Chemistry
University of Cambridge
Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW (UK)
Fax: (+44)1223-336-913
E-mail: sb10031@cam.ac.uk
[**] This study was supported by the Cancer Research UK, the EU, and
EPSRC. We thank the EPSRC Mass Spectrometry Service for mass
analysis.
Scheme 1. a) Structure of the oxazole-based peptide macrocycle 1.
b) Structuresof side chainsthat are cationic ( A–E, library L1) and
neutral (carbohydrate derivatives F–I, library L2) at physiological pH
value.
Supporting information for thisarticle isavailable on the WWW
under http://www.angewandte.org or from the author.
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Library L1 includes various chemical motifs that are
containing heterodimers. Indeed, glutathione was not
expected to interact favorably with DNA because of its
overall negative charge at pH 7.4. We observed a net
amplification of the peaks corresponding to the macrocycle–
side-chain conjugates (Figure 1a,c).[13]
positively charged at physiological pH and exhibit different
potential for hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions
(A–E, Scheme 1). Library L1 (100 mm in each of the building
blocks) was combined with the quadruplex-binding platform
1 (100 mm) to generate DCL1.[10] The exchange buffer (50 mm
Tris/HCl pH 7.4, 150 mm KCl) contained an excess of both
reduced (1.28 mm) and oxidized glutathione (0.32 mm) to act
as an exchange mediator.[8d,g]
The level of amplification for the macrocyclic species in
the presence of c-Kit21 was 1-E > 1-A @ 1-D > 1-B @ 1-C
(Figure 1c).[14] Although all side chains are positively charged
at pH 7.4, this discrimination suggests binding events that are
not purely due to nondirectional electrostatic interactions
between the positively charged molecules and the polyanionic
DNA target, but rather due to the geometry and/or the
hydrogen-bonding potential of the side chains. Molecules 1-E
and 1-A were then resynthesized on a larger scale, and their
binding affinities for c-Kit21 were evaluated by surface
plasmon resonance (SPR).[10] Molecule 1-E was found to
bind the quadruplex with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 6.6 Æ
0.1 mm. This value is an approximately 10-fold improvement
in affinity as compared with the macrocycle platform 1, which
exhibits a Kd value of 67.5 Æ 16.8 mm for c-Kit21. In contrast,
the affinity of 1-A for c-Kit21 (Kd = 10.9 Æ 1.9 mm) is about
sixfold better than 1. These results are consistent with the
relative amplifications obtained for 1-E and 1-A: + 2200%
and + 1900%, respectively (Figure 1c).
DCL1 was prepared either in the absence or in the
presence of various DNA targets (100 mm). The nucleic acid
targets used were two intramolecular quadruplex-forming
sequences (c-Kit21, c-Myc22) and a 22-mer duplex DNA
(dsDNA; sequences are given in Table S1 in the Supporting
Information). Oligonucleotides c-Kit21 and c-Myc22 are
derived from G-rich sequences found in the promoters of c-
KIT and c-MYCproto-oncogenes, respectively. [11,12] In potas-
sium aqueous buffer at neutral pH, c-Myc22 folds into a single
1
parallel-stranded G-quadruplex structure.[11] Using H NMR
and CD spectroscopy, we showed that c-Kit21 predominantly
folds into a quadruplex with a parallel topology under nearly
physiological conditions.[12] The main differences between c-
Kit21 and c-Myc22 quadruplexes are likely to be in the
sequence and size of the loops.
In a typical experiment, DCL1 was left to equilibrate for
three days at room temperature, under air, without stirring.[10]
Then the exchange process was stopped by lowering the pH
value to 2.[10] For mixtures that included DNA targets, the
biotinylated targets were removed by using streptavidin-
coated magnetic beads, were heat denatured, and washed
several times to release any bound ligands. DCL compositions
were then analyzed by UV-HPLC-MS.[10] In the absence of
any target, DCL1 predominantly contained the glutathione
adducts of the macrocycle scaffold and of the side-chain
building blocks. Only small traces of other homo- and hetero-
disulfides were detected (Figure 1a). In the presence of c-
Kit21, marked changes in the composition of DCL1 occurred.
Notably, there was a clear decrease in the glutathione-
The thiol macrocycle platform 1 binds c-Myc22 with a Kd
value of 82.5 Æ 9.9 mm, which is slightly higher than the Kd
value determined for c-Kit21. In the presence of c-Myc22, the
two most amplified adducts from DCL1 were the guanidi-
nium derivatives 1-A and 1-E (Figure 2), as with c-Kit21. The
Figure 2. Proportion changesof the macrocycle–side-chain conjugates
in DCL1 upon introduction of c-Myc22.
other macrocycle–side-chain products (1-B, 1-C, 1-D) were
only moderately amplified (Figure 2). However, by con-
trast with the experiment performed in the presence of
c-Kit21, 1-A was this time more strongly amplified
(+ 2200%) than 1-E (+ 1700%). Indeed, SPR experiments
revealed that 1-A (Kd = 6.8 Æ 1.4 mm) binds approximately
12-fold better to c-Myc22 than 1, while the acyl–guanidi-
nium side chain E increases the affinity by approximately
eightfold (Kd = 9.8 Æ 0.2 mm).
Furthermore, in contrast to quadruplex targets, the
presence of dsDNA did not induce any significant changes
in the compositions of DCL1, thus suggesting no inter-
action between the components of the DCL and the DNA
duplex, as was also confirmed by SPR. Taken together,
Figure 1. Expansions of the HPLC traces of templated and untemplated
a) DCL1 and b) DCL2, and proportion changesof macrocycle–side-chain
conjugatesin c) DCL1 and d) DCL2 upon introduction of c-Kit21.
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these results reveal that subtle chemical variations of
positively charged side chains can lead to differences in
quadruplex-binding potential. We then investigated whether
the stereochemistry of neutral carbohydrate molecules could
also affect quadruplex binding.
Many carbohydrates, both neutral and positively charged,
are known to be generally good binders for nucleic acids,
mainly because of their hydrogen-bonding ability and large
hydrophobic patches.[15] As opposed to the more widely
studied RNA and duplex DNA, the interactions between
carbohydrates and quadruplexes remain largely unexplored.
To the best of our knowledge, only a single study dealing with
the interaction between a carbohydrate, the aminoglycoside
neomycin, and a DNA quadruplex has been published.[16] We
thus prepared a series of carbohydrate-based thiols (L2,
Scheme 1) containing a- and b-substituted derivatives of
lyxose (F and G) and xylose (H and I). Library L2 was
combined with 1 under the same conditions as those described
for L1 to generate DCL2, either in the absence or in the
presence of the c-Kit21, c-Myc22, and dsDNA targets
(100 mm). As observed previously for DCL1, the composition
of DCL2 did not exhibit any detectable changes in the
presence of the duplex DNA target. In contrast, significant
changes occurred when quadruplex targets were introduced.
In the presence of c-Kit21, macrocycle conjugate 1-F was
the most strongly amplified product (+ 485%) of DCL2.
It was amplified about twofold more than its epimer, 1-G
(+ 245%, Figure 1d). By contrast, the xylose derivatives 1-H
(+ 400%) and 1-I (+ 350%) exhibited more comparable
levels of amplification (Figure 1d). These results indicate that
subtle changes in the carbohydrate geometry, such as the
absolute configuration of a single stereogenic center, can give
rise to significant differences in amplification, and thus in the
affinity for a quadruplex target. To confirm this, binding of all
four macrocycle–carbohydrate products were assessed by
SPR. Molecule 1-F was found to bind to c-Kit21 with a Kd
value of 9.1 Æ 1.1 mm, while 1-G binds with a Kd value of
23.6 Æ 5.1 mm. As expected from the amplification obtained,
the discrimination between the macrocycle–xylose adducts
was small. The Kd values of 1-H and 1-I for c-Kit21 are 16.2 Æ
1.8 mm and 17.6 Æ 2.6 mm, respectively.
Figure 3. Proportion changesof the macrocycle–side-chain conjugates
in DCL2 upon introduction of c-Myc22.
the quadruplex-binding properties of a generic ligand (the
oxazole-based peptide macrocycle) without the requirement
for structural data. A key outcome of our study is the
demonstration that subtle chemical and/or stereochemical
changes can tune the affinity of the ligand for a particular
quadruplex target, and can thus lead to differential recog-
nition of DNA G quadruplexes. Furthermore, this work
introduces carbohydrate molecules as promising motifs for
selective quadruplex recognition.
Received: December 6, 2007
Published online: February 25, 2008
Keywords: carbohydrates· combinatorial chemistry · DNA ·
.
molecular recognition · quadruplexes
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When equilibrated in the presence of c-Myc22, slight
variations in the composition of DCL2 were observed as
compared to its composition in the presence of c-Kit21. The
most notable change was in the relative amplification of 1-F
and 1-H. By contrast with amplifications observed in the
presence of c-Kit21, 1-F and 1-H were amplified at essentially
identical levels in the presence of c-Myc22: + 400 and
+ 415%, respectively (Figure 3). Indeed, 1-F and 1-H were
found to bind to c-Myc22 with similar Kd values of 24.4 Æ
4.8 mm and 21.1 Æ 3.7 mm, respectively. This result indicates
that lyxose side chain F is not a generic solution for good
quadruplex binding, even when two closely related quadru-
plex structures are considered. The least amplified species
was 1-G (+ 210%). It binds to c-Myc22 with a Kd value of
37.2 Æ 1.7 mm, which is almost twofold weaker than its epimer
1-H.
In conclusion, we have shown that DCC is a powerful
approach to explore the effect of chemical modifications on
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