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The reaction of Pt-based anticancer agents with arsenic trioxide affords robust complexes known as arsenoplatins. The prototype of this family of anticancer compounds is arsenoplatin-1 (AP-1) that contains an As(OH)2 fragment linked to a Pt(II) moiety derived from cisplatin. Crystallographic and spectrometric studies of AP-1 binding to a B-DNA double helix dodecamer are presented here, in comparison with cisplatin and transplatin. Results reveal that AP-1, cisplatin and transplatin react differently with the DNA model system. Notably, in the AP-1/DNA systems, the Pt–As bond can break down with time and As-containing fragments can be released. These results have implications for the understanding of the mechanism of action of arsenoplatins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction of Pt-based anticancer agents with arsenic trioxide affords robust complexes known as arsenoplatins. The prototype of this family of anticancer compounds is arsenoplatin-1 (AP-1) that contains an As(OH) 2 fragment linked to a Pt(II) moiety derived from cisplatin. Crystallographic and spectrometric studies of AP-1 binding to a B-DNA double helix dodecamer are presented here, in comparison with cisplatin and transplatin. Results reveal that AP-1, cisplatin and transplatin react differently with the DNA model system. Notably, in the AP-1/DNA systems, the Pt-As bond can break down with time and As-containing fragments can be released. These results have implications for the understanding of the mechanism of action of arsenoplatins.

Despite their unquestionable properties, oligonucleotide aptamers display some drawbacks that continue to hinder their applications. Several strategies have been undertaken to overcome these weaknesses, using thrombin binding aptamers as proof-of-concept. In particular, the functionalization of a thrombin exosite I binding aptamer (TBA) with aromatic moieties, e.g., naphthalene dimides (N) and dialkoxynaphthalenes (D), attached at the 5' and 3' ends, respectively, proved to be highly promising. To obtain a molecular view of the effects of these modifications on aptamers, we performed a crystallographic analysis of one of these engineered oligonucleotides (TBA-NNp/DDp) in complex with thrombin. Surprisingly, three of the four examined crystallographic structures are ternary complexes in which thrombin binds a TBA-NNp/DDp molecule at exosite II as well as at exosite I, highlighting the ability of this aptamer, differently from unmodified TBA, to also recognize a localized region of exosite II. This novel ability is strictly related to the solvophobic behavior of the terminal modifications. Studies were also performed in solution to examine the properties of TBA-NNp/DDp in a crystal-free environment. The present results throw new light on the importance of appendages inducing a pseudo -cyclic charge-transfer structure in nucleic acid-based ligands to improve the interactions with proteins, thus considerably widening their potentialities., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2022 The Authors.)