title: Variation of DNA sequence specificity of DNA-oligopeptide binding ligands related to netropsin: imidazole-containing lexitropsins.
abstract: CD binding studies of nonintercalative oligopeptides related to netropsin, named lexitropsins, have been carried out with synthetic duplex DNAs and natural DNA. While netropsin possesses a high dA.dT sequence specificity, these ligands show a progressive lowering of the ability to bind to dA.dT basepairs in DNA and a dramatic reduction of the sequence specificity seen at high salt concentration due to a replacement of pyrrole moieties by imidazoles. This variation in DNA sequence specificity of lexitropsins is mirrored in corresponding large differences in the template inactivation of poly(dA-dT).poly(dA-dT) in the RNA polymerase reaction by these drugs. The presence of imidazole permits binding of the oligopeptide to dG.dC pairs, which is most effective for the triimidazole peptide. Results at increasing salt concentration reveal, however, that a tight binding to pure dG.dC sequences does not occur. A proper sequence containing dG.dC and dA.dT pairs is supposed to be required for a higher specificity. The CD data accord well with previously reported melting studies and are in favor of recent theoretical results suggesting that the diminished AT preference may be due to an increase in the complexation energy with the dG.dC pairs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biochemistry, Central Institute of Microbiology and Experimental Therapy, Academy of Sciences of the GDR, Jena.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burckhardt
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Luck
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zimmer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Störl
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krowicki
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lown
mesh_terms: D001482:Base Composition; D001665:Binding Sites; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D006146:Guanidines / Q000378:metabolism*; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000378:metabolism*; D009429:Netropsin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism*; D011067:Poly dA-dT / Q000378:metabolism; D011089:Polydeoxyribonucleotides / Q000378:metabolism; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D006146:Guanidines; D007093:Imidazoles; D011089:Polydeoxyribonucleotides; C053654:lexitropsin; D011067:Poly dA-dT; C019530:poly(dC-dG); C033927:poly(dA-dC).poly(dG-dT); D009429:Netropsin; D004247:DNA