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Platinum-derivatized homopyrimidine triplex-forming oligonucleotides (Pt-TFOs) consisting of 2'-O-methyl-5-methyluridine, 2'-O-methyl-5-methylcytidine, and a single 3'-N7-trans-chlorodiammine platinum(II)-2'-deoxyguanosine were designed to cross-link to the transcribed strand at four different sequences in the human androgen receptor (AR) gene. Fluorescence microscopy showed that a fluorescein-tagged Pt-TFO localizes in both the cytoplasm and nucleus when it is transfected into LAPC-4 cells, a human prostate cancer cell line, using Lipofectamine 2000. A capture assay employing streptavidin-coated magnetic beads followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was used to demonstrate that 5'-biotin-conjugated Pt-TFOs cross-link in vitro to their four designated AR gene targets in genomic DNA extracted from LAPC-4 cells. Similarly, the capture assay was used to examine cross-linking between the 5'-biotin-conjugated Pt-TFOs and the AR gene in LAPC-4 cells in culture. Three of the four Pt-TFOs cross-linked to their designated target, suggesting that different regions of the AR gene are not uniformly accessible to Pt-TFO cross-linking. LAPC-4 cells were transfected with fluorescein-tagged Pt-TFO or a control oligonucleotide that does not bind or cross-link to AR DNA. The levels of AR mRNA in highly fluorescent cells isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting were determined by RT-qPCR, and the levels of AR protein were monitored by immunofluorescence microscopy. Decreases in mRNA and protein levels of 40 and 30%, respectively, were observed for fluorescein-tagged Pt-TFO versus control treated cells. Although the levels of knockdown of AR mRNA and protein were modest, the results suggest that Pt-TFOs hold potential as agents for controlling gene expression by cross-linking to DNA and disrupting transcription.

Triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) can bind to polypurine x polypyrimidine tracts in DNA and, as a consequence, perturb the normal functioning of a targeted gene. The effectiveness of such antigene TFOs can potentially be enhanced by covalent attachment of the TFO to its DNA target. Here, we report that attachment of N-7-platinated guanine nucleosides to the 3'- and/or 5'-ends of oligopyrimidine TFOs enables these TFOs to form highly stable adducts with target DNA deoxyguanosines or deoxyadenosines that are adjacent to the TFO binding site. Such adduct formation stably anchors the TFO to its target. Depending on the sequences adjacent to the TFO binding site, adduct formation can occur on either strand of the DNA. Adduct formation by 3',5'-bis-platinated TFOs can result in the formation of an interstrand cross-link between both strands of the DNA duplex. Formation of the adducts, which could be reversed by treatment with sodium cyanide, was dependent upon the ability of the TFO to bind to DNA and appeared to occur at a rate slower than that at which the TFO bound to the DNA duplex. The extent of adduct formation at 37 degrees C by platinated deoxyribo-TFOs diminished as the pH was increased from 6.5 to 7.4. In contrast, high levels (approximately 86%) of adduct formation by platinated 2'-O-methylribo-TFOs were observed at both pH 6.5 and pH 7.4. Platinated 2'-O-methylribo-TFOs were also shown to bind to plasmid DNA and inhibit transcription in vitro, and to inhibit plasmid replication in E. coli cells. These results suggest that platinum-conjugated TFOs may be good candidates for use as antigene agents.

We are developing triple helix forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) for gene targeting. Previously, we synthesized bioactive TFOs containing 2'-O-methylribose (2'-OMe) and 2'-O-aminoethylribose (2'-AE) residues. Active TFOs contained four contiguous 2'-AE residues and formed triplexes with high thermal stability and rapid association kinetics. In an effort to further improve bioactivity, we synthesized three series of TFOs containing the 2'-AE patch and additional ribose modifications distributed throughout the remainder of the oligonucleotide. These were either additional 2'-AE residues, the conformationally locked BNA/LNA ribose with a 2'-O,4'-C-methylene bridge, or the 2'-O,4'-C-ethylene analogue (ENA). The additionally modified TFOs formed triplexes with greater thermal stability than the reference TFO, and some had improved association kinetics. However, the most active TFOs in the biochemical and biophysical assays were the least active in the bioassay. We measured the thermal stability of triplexes formed by the TFOs in each series on duplex targets containing a change in sequence at a single position. The Tm value of the variant sequence triplexes increased as the number of all additional modifications increased. A simple explanation for the failure of the improved TFOs in the bioassay was that the increased affinity for nonspecific targets lowered the effective nuclear concentration. Enhancement of TFO bioactivity will require chemical modifications that improve interaction with the specific targets while retaining selectivity against mismatched sequences.

Triple helix forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) may have utility as gene targeting reagents for "in situ" gene therapy of genetic disorders. Triplex formation is challenged by negative charge repulsion between third strand and duplex phosphates, and destabilizing positive charge repulsion between adjacent protonated cytosines within pyrimidine motif third strands. Here we describe the synthesis of TFOs designed to target a site in the human beta-globin gene, which is the locus for mutations that underlie the beta-globinopathies, including sickle cell anemia. The target is an uninterrupted polypurine:polypyrimidine sequence, containing four adjacent cytosines, next to a psoralen cross-link site. Pyrimidine motif TFOs that contained four adjacent cytosines or 5-methylcytosines did not form stable triplexes at physiological pH, despite the introduction of otherwise stabilizing base and sugar analogues. We synthesized a series of pso-TFOs containing 2'-O-methyl (OMe) and 2'-O-aminoethoxy substitutions (AE), as well as 8-oxo-adenine (A8) and 2'-O-methylpseudoisocytidine (P) as neutral cytosine replacements. Thermal stability measurements indicated that TFOs with A8 did not meet criteria established in previous work. However, TFOs with P did form triplexes with appropriate T(m) and k(ON) values. A pso-TFO with AE and P residues was sufficiently active to permit the determination of targeting in living cells by direct measurement of cross-link formation at the target site. Our results validate the modification format described in our previous studies and indicate that P substitutions are an effective solution to the problem of targeting genomic sequences containing adjacent cytosines.

Triple helix forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) that bind chromosomal targets in living cells may become tools for genome manipulation, including gene knockout, conversion, or recombination. However, triplex formation by DNA third strands, particularly those in the pyrimidine motif, requires nonphysiological pH and Mg(2+) concentration, and this limits their development as gene-targeting reagents. Recent advances in oligonucleotide chemistry promise to solve these problems. For this study TFOs containing 2'-O-methoxy (2'-OMe) and 2'-O-(2-aminoethyl) (2'-AE) ribose substitutions in varying proportion have been constructed. The TFOs were linked to psoralen and designed to target and mutagenize a site in the hamster HPRT gene. T(m) analyses showed that triplexes formed by these TFOs were more stable than the underlying duplex, regardless of 2'-OMe/2'-AE ratio. However, TFOs with 2'-AE residues were more stable in physiological pH than those with only 2'-OMe sugars, as a simple function of 2'-AE content. In contrast, gene knockout assays revealed a threshold requirement--TFOs with three or four 2'-AE residues were at least 10-fold more active than the TFO with two 2'-AE residues. The HPRT knockout frequencies with the most active TFOs were 300-400-fold above the background, whereas there was no activity against the APRT gene, a monitor of nonspecific mutagenesis.

The cancer chemotherapeutic agent cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) or cisplatin reacts primarily with guanines in DNA to form 1,2-Pt-GG and 1,3-Pt-GNG intrastrand cross-links and, to a lesser extent, G-G interstrand cross-links. Recent NMR evidence has suggested that cisplatin can also form a coordination complex with the phosphodiester intemucleotide linkage of DNA. We have examined the effects of the phosphodiester backbone on the reactions of cisplatin with oligodeoxyribonucleotides that lack or contain a GTG sequence. Cisplatin forms a stable adduct with TpT that can be isolated by reversed phase HPLC. The cis-Pt-TpT adduct contains a single Pt, as determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and is resistant to digestion by snake venom phosphodiesterase. Treatment of the adduct with sodium cyanide regenerates TpT. Similar adduct formation was observed when T(pT)s was treated with cisplatin, bitt not when the phosphodiester linkages of T(pT)[sub8] were replaced with methylphosphonate groups. These results suggest that the platinum may be coordinated with the oxygens of the thymine and possibly with those of the phosphodiester group. As expected, reaction of a 9-mer containing a GTG sequence with cisplatin yielded an adduct that contained a I ,3-Pt-GTG intrastrand cross-link. However, we found that the number and placement of phosphodiesters surrounding a GTG sequence significantly affected intrastrand cross-link formation. Increasing the number of negatively charged phosphodiesters in the oligonucleotide increased the amount of GTG platination. Surrounding the GTG sequence with nonionic methylphosphonate linkages inhibited or eliminated crosslink formation. These observations suggest that interactions between cisplatin and the negatively charged phosphodiester backbone may play an important role in facilitating platination of guanine nucleolides in DNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports the examination of a series of psoralen-derivatized oligodeoxyribonucleoside methylphosphonates for their abilities to cross-link to DNA and RNA oligonucleoside targets. Description of experimental procedures; Results of experiment; Discussion of results; References.

We are developing triple helix-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) as gene targeting reagents in living mammalian cells. We have described psoralen-linked TFOs with 2'-0-methyl and 2'-0-(2-aminoethyl) (2'-AE) substitutions that are active in a gene knockout assay in cultured cells. The assay is based on mutagenesis by psoralen, a photoactive DNA cross-linker. Previous work showed that TFOs with three or four 2'-AE residues were disproportionately more active than those with one or two substitutions. Here we demonstrate that for optimal bioactivity the 2'-AE residues must be clustered rather than dispersed. We have further characterized bioactive and inactive TFOs in an effort to identify biochemical and biophysical correlates of biological activity. While thermal stability is a standard monitor of TFO biophysical activity, we find that T[Subm] values do not distinguish bioactive and inactive TFOs. In contrast, measurements of TFO association rates appear to correlate well with bioactivity, in that triplex formation occurs disproportionately faster with the TFOs containing three or four 2'-AE residues. We asked if extending the incubation time prior to photoactivation would enhance the bioactivity of a TFO with a slow on rate relative to the TFO with a faster association rate. However, there was no change in bioactivity differential. These results are compatible with a model in which TFO binding in vivo is followed by relatively rapid elution by cellular functions, similar to that described for transcription factors. Under these circumstances, TFOs with faster on rates would be favored because they would be more likely to be in triplexes at the time of photoactivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]