title: Metal binding to ligand-containing peptide nucleic acids.
abstract: The substitution of nucleobases in nucleic acid duplexes with ligands that have high affinity for transition metal ions creates metal-binding sites at specific locations within the duplexes. Several studies on the incorporation of metal ions into DNA and peptide nucleic acid (PNA) duplexes have suggested that the stability constant of the metal complex formed within the duplexes is a primary determinant of the thermal stability of the duplexes. To understand this relationship, we have synthesized two PNA monomers that carry the same ligand, namely 8-hydroxyquinoline, but have this ligand attached differently to the PNA backbone. The PNA monomers have been incorporated into PNA duplexes. UV and CD spectroscopy and calorimetric studies of the 8-hydroxyquinoline-PNA duplexes showed that the effect of the stability of the metal complex on the PNA duplexes was significantly modulated by the steric relationship between the complex and the duplex. This information is useful for the construction of hybrid inorganic-nucleic acid nanostructures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Zhijie
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Olechnowicz
authors.forename: Yury A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Skorik
authors.forename: Catalina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Achim
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D008024:Ligands; D015394:Molecular Structure; D020135:Peptide Nucleic Acids / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D028561:Transition Elements / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D020135:Peptide Nucleic Acids; D028561:Transition Elements