title: DNA binding and intercalation by novel porphyrins: role of charge and substituents probed by DNase I footprinting and topoisomerase I unwinding.
abstract: Porphyrins carrying four charged sidechains, e.g., meso-tetrakis[4-N-methylpyridiniumyl]- and meso-tetrakis[4-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)pyridiniumyl]-porphyrin, bound and intercalated similarly into DNA as measured by helix stabilization and DNA unwinding studies in the presence of DNA topoisomerase I. Despite their different bulky sidechains, these complexes gave essentially identical DNase I footprinting patterns. In contrast, tetrasubstituted porphyrins carrying three phenyl rings and a single positively charged pyridiniumyl sidechain did not intercalate and exhibited little affinity for DNA. Thus, the presence of charged sidechains on the porphyrin rather than their identity appears to be critical for efficient DNA intercalation. The results are discussed in regard to current models for the porphyrin-DNA intercalation complex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo (Komaba), Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Austin
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Fisher
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007364:Intercalating Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007364:Intercalating Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; D004247:DNA; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I