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The influence of molecular structure and DNA binding mode on the ability of cationic porphyrins to photosensitize DNA strand break formation has been studied for a series of meso-substituted pyridinium porphyrins using electrophoretic and DNA sequencing techniques. Porphyrins substituted with pyridyl groups in which the heterocyclic nitrogen is in the para or meta position vis-à-vis the substitution point are capable of intercalative binding and are considerably more efficient DNA photosensitizers than the corresponding non-intercalating ortho compounds. Within each group of porphyrins the photosensitizer efficiency increases with the number of positive charges. Using DNA sequencing experiments, we have demonstrated that photomodification occurs primarily at the guanine and thymine bases, and that alkali-labile sites produced by photo-oxidation are as important as direct cleavage events. The kinetics of strand degradation in aerated and degassed solution suggest that type II reactions (probably mediated by singlet oxygen) occur with significantly higher yield than type I reactions and are responsible for the formation of alkali-labile sites in aerated systems. These observations seem to confirm the hypothesis that those structural features which influence the strength and mode of binding also serve to establish favourable porphyrin-DNA interactions for photosensitization.

Oligopyrimidines covalently linked to ellipticine derivatives form duplex and triplex structures with target single-stranded oligopurine sequences. They also bind to duplex DNA at homopurine-homopyrimidine sequences where they form local triple helices. Irradiation at wavelengths longer than 300 nm of the complex formed by an oligonucleotide-ellipticine conjugate with its target sequence induced (i) cleavage of the target at bases located in close proximity to the dye and (ii) cross-linking of the target sequence to the derivatized oligonucleotide. Both cross-linking and cleavage reactions decreased when temperature increased with a half-transition corresponding to the dissociation of the oligonucleotide-ellipticine conjugate from its target nucleic acid, demonstrating that the observed photochemical effects are dependent on hybrid formation. When the target was a double-stranded DNA, photochemical reactions were observed on both strands of the duplex. Photo-induced cross-linking was more efficient than cleavage when the target was single-stranded; the reverse was observed when the target was duplex DNA.

Porphyrins linked to oligonucleotides produce various types of photodamage on a complementary target DNA. The observed reactions include oxidation of guanine bases and cross-linking reactions of the oligonucleotide to its target sequence. Guanines located close to the porphyrin macrocycle were the most altered as compared to more remote guanines on the target sequence. No specific reaction was observed when the complexes were dissociated at temperatures above the melting temperature of the oligonucleotide-target hybrid. Both cross-linking and oxidation reactions accounted for ca. 60% modification of the target chains in the complex. Our results show that oligonucleotides covalently linked to porphyrins are efficient systems for inducing irreversible sequence-specific photodamage on a target DNA.

The antitumoral derivative cisPt binds to DNA, as do its inactive analogs, trans- and dienPt. Structural damage introduced into DNA after reaction with the Pt derivatives were probed by using the peptide LysTrpLys. This peptide was used for its preferential binding to single-stranded structures (Brun, F., Toulmé, J.J. and Hélène, C. (1975) Biochemistry 14, 558-563). Phosphorescence lifetime measurements show that the Pt-induced heavy atom effects are quite similar in the three peptide-DNA-Pt complexes whatever the nature of the Pt derivative used. In contrast, fluorescence quenching strongly depends on the nature of the Pt derivatives. This quenching was therefore attributed to the stacking interactions engaged by the tryptophan residue with nucleic acid bases. A comparison of fluorescence quenching data for native and modified DNAs demonstrates that modification by dienPt has no effect on stacking interactions and that high levels of modifications by trans Pt are required to observe a change in stacking efficiency. In contrast modification by cis Pt induces the formation of strong stacking sites. The results strongly suggest the existence of locally opened regions in DNA modified by cis Pt.

A photocrosslinking reagent (p-azidophenacyl) was covalently linked to an octathymidylate synthesized with either the natural (beta) anomer of thymidine or the synthetic (alpha) anomer. The oligothymidylate was further substituted by an acridine derivative to stabilize the hybrid formed with a complementary octadeoxyadenylate sequence via intercalation. A single-stranded 27-mer containing a (dA)8 sequence and a 27-mer duplex containing a (dA.dT)8 sequence were used as targets. Upon UV irradiation, photocrosslinking of the octathymidylate to its target sequence was observed, generating bands that migrated more slowly in denaturing gels. In the 27-mer duplex, both strands were photocrosslinked to the octathymidylate. Upon alkaline treatment of the irradiated samples, cleavage of the 27-mers was observed at specific sites. These reactions were analyzed at different salt concentrations. The location of the cleavage sites allowed us to demonstrate the following. (i) Both alpha and beta oligothymidylates can recognize a DNA double helix containing an oligo(dA).oligo(dT) sequence; the oligothymidylate binds to the major groove of DNA in a parallel orientation with respect to the adenine-containing strand of the DNA double helix. (ii) alpha oligothymidylates form helices with a complementary single-stranded oligodeoxyadenylate; the two strands have a parallel orientation independently of whether or not an intercalating agent is attached to the oligothymidylate. (iii) At low salt concentration, beta oligothymidylates form a double helix with an oligodeoxyadenylate in which, as expected, the two strands are antiparallel; at high salt concentration, a triple helix is formed in which the second oligothymidylate is oriented parallel to the adenine-containing strand. These results show that it is possible to recognize an oligopurine.oligopyrimidine sequence in a DNA double helix via local triple-helix formation and to target photochemical reactions to specific sequences in both double-stranded and single-stranded nucleic acids.