Structure-based design of flavone derivatives as c-myc oncogene down-regulators

Based on molecular docking analysis of complexes between flavone and the c-myc G-quadruplex, we designed and screened 30 flavone derivatives containing various side chains that could potentially form interactions with the G-quadruplex grooves. As a proof-of-concept, the highest-scoring flavone derivatives containing cationic pyridinium side chains were synthesized and their interactions with the c-myc G-quadruplex were examined using a PCR-stop assay. The stabilizing effects of the flavone derivatives were found to be selective towards the c-myc G-quadruplex over other biologically relevant G-quadruplex structures, such as the human telomeric sequence (HTS). The interaction between the most potent compound of the series and the c-myc G-quadruplex was examined in depth using UV–Vis titration, molecular modeling and CD spectroscopy. Our results suggest that in addition to stabilizing the c-myc G-quadruplex, the flavone derivatives were capable of inducing the formation of the G-quadruplex structure even in the absence of monovalent cations. The flavone derivatives were found to be potent inhibitors of c-myc promoters within the cellular environment and displayed promising cytotoxic behavior against human cancer cell lines.