title: DNA-binding properties of a distamycin-ellipticine hybrid molecule.
abstract: We have synthesized a distamycin-ellipticine hybrid compound and investigated its interaction with DNA, using various optical and gel electrophoresis techniques. Binding of the hybrid to DNA is evidenced by spectral shifts, fluorescence quenching, and induced linear dichroism. Absorbance measurements have been used to generate Scatchard plots, which reveal that the interaction cannot be described adequately in terms of a single binding mode, probably because of simultaneous intercalation and minor groove binding of the ligand. Competition with added distamycin has been used to verify involvement of the N-methyl-pyrrole portion of the hybrid molecule in the binding reaction. From electric linear dichroism experiments, it is estimated that the orientation of the DNA-bound ellipticine chromophore in the hybrid differs by about 10 degrees from the orientation of the equivalent chromophore lacking a distamycin tail. Topoisomerase assays establish that binding of the hybrid unwinds the DNA helix by a minimum of 11 degrees, which is consistent with intercalation but notably smaller than the unwinding angle of ellipticine. In footprinting experiments, it is found that the AT- and GC-specificity of distamycin and ellipticine, respectively, appear to be merged in the binding of the hybrid, which produces a pattern of protection distinct from the characteristic patterns for either of the parent compounds. The hybrid is an extremely effective inhibitor of cutting by DNase I.
authors.affiliation: University of Cambridge, Department of Pharmacology, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bailly
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Huigin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Houssin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Colson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Houssier
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rivalle
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bisagni
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Henichart
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Waring
mesh_terms: D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004214:Distamycins / Q000737:chemistry*; D004611:Ellipticines / Q000737:chemistry*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D011067:Poly dA-dT / Q000737:chemistry*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D004214:Distamycins; D004611:Ellipticines; C034192:ellipticine; C078726:Distel; D011067:Poly dA-dT; C030000:stallimycin; D004247:DNA