title: High affinity, sequence specific DNA binding by synthetic tripyrrole-peptide conjugates.
abstract: Linking the basic region of a bZIP transcription factor to a distamycin-like tripyrrole peptide by means of a nitrogen-containing tether produces a hybrid capable of high-affinity recognition of specific, designated DNA sequences. The importance of the nitrogen in the tether is shown by the considerable reduction in affinity (more than 10-fold) caused by its replacement with an ether linkage. Attachment of an aminopropyl chain on the pyrrole adjacent to the pyrrole bearing the nitrogen-containing tether increases affinity approximately one order of magnitude. These results confirm that a suitable location of protonated amine groups on designed DNA-binding peptides provides for higher affinities, most probably because of the generation of salt bridged contacts with the phosphodiester backbone.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Orgánica y Unidad Asociada al CSIC, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain. .
authors.forename: Juan B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: Olalla
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martínez-Costas
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Castedo
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Mascareñas
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000737:chemistry*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D011758:Pyrroles; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA