Interstrand complex formation of purine oligonucleotides and their nonionic analogs: the model system of d(AG)8 and its complement, d(CT)8

The paperclip triplex: understanding the role of apex residues in tight turns

In this study, we investigate the role of the apex nucleotides of the two turns found in the intramolecular "paperclip" type triplex DNA formed by 5'-TCTCTCCTCTCTAGAGAG-3'. Our previously published structure calculations show that residues C7-A18 form a hairpin turn via Watson-Crick basepairing and residues T1-C6 bind into the major groove of the hairpin via Hoogsteen basepairing resulting in a broad turn of the T1-T12 5'-pyrimidine section of the DNA. We find that only the C6C7/G18 apex triad (and not the T12A13/T1 apex triad) is required for intramolecular triplex formation, is base independent, and occurs whether the purine section is located at the 5' or 3' end of the sequence. NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate a bimolecular complex (which retains only the C6C7/G18 apex) in which a pyrimidine strand 5'- TCTCTCCTCTCT-3' makes a broad fold stabilized by the purine strand 5'-AGAGAG-3' via Watson Crick pairing to the T8-T12 and Hoogsteen basepairing to T1-T5 of the pyrimidine strand. Interestingly, this investigation shows that this 5'-AGAGAG-3' oligo acts as a new kind of triplex forming oligonucleotide, and adds to the growing number of triplex forming oligonucleotides that may prove useful as therapeutic agents.

PNA-DNA chimeras containing 5-alkynyl-pyrimidine PNA units. Synthesis, binding properties, and enzymatic stability

Three chimeric dimer synthons (oeg_t(NH)T, oeg_up(NH)T and oeg_uh(NH)T) containing thymine (t), 5-(1-propynyl)-uracil (up) and 5-(1-hexyn-1-yl)-uracil (uh) PNA units with N-(2-hydroxyethyl)glycine (oeg) backbone were synthesized in solution and incorporated into T20 oligonucleotide analogues, using standard P-amidite chemistry. Insertion of dimer blocks led to destabilization of duplexes with dA20 target. The smallest Tm drops were found for chimeras containing oeg_up(NH)T dimers. Incorporation of the chimeric synthons into the 3'-end of T20 brought about growing resistance to 3'-exonucleolytic (SV PDE) cleavage in the order of oeg_t(NH)T < oeg_up(NH)T < oeg_uh(NH)T. Due to different endonuclease activities of 3'- and 5'-exonucleases applied, placing of five consecutive dimers at the 5'-terminus resulted in a relatively smaller, but also side-chain dependent, stabilization towards the hydrolysis by 5'-exonuclease (BS PDE). Neither exonucleases (SV and BS PDE) nor an endonuclease (Nuclease P1) could hydrolyse the unnatural phosphodiester bond linking the 3'-OH of thymidine to the terminal OH of N-(2-hydroxyethyl)glycine PNA backbone.

Parallel and antiparallel G*G.C base triplets in pur*pur.pyr triple helices formed with (GA) third strands

Triple helices with G*G.C and A*A.T base triplets with third GA strands either parallel or antiparallel with respect to the homologous duplex strand have been formed in presence of Na (+) or Mg(2+) counterions. Antiparallel triplexes are more stable and can be obtained even in presence of only monovalent Na(+) counterions. A biphasic melting has been observed, reflecting third strand separation around 20 degrees C followed by the duplex -> coil transition around 63 degrees C. Parallel triplexes are far less stable than the antiparallel ones. Their formation requires divalent ions and is observed at low temperature and in high concentration conditions. Different FTIR signatures of G*G.C triplets in parallel and antiparallel triple helices with GA rich third strands have been obtained allowing the identification of such base triplets in triplexes formed by nucleic acids with heterogeneous compositions. Only S-type sugars are found in the antiparallel triplex while some N-type sugar conformation is detected in the parallel triplex.

Evidence for a DNA triplex in a recombination-like motif: I. Recognition of Watson-Crick base pairs by natural bases in a high-stability triplex

Data are presented on a triplex type with two parallel homologous strands for which triplex formation is almost as strong as duplex formation at least for some sequences and even at pH 7 and 0.2 M NaCl. The evidence mainly rests upon comparing thermodynamic properties of similar systems. A paperclip oligonucleotide d(A12C4T12C4A12) with two linkers C4 obviously can form a triplex with parallel back-folded adenine strand regions, because the single melting transition of this complex splits in two transitions by introducing mismatches only in the third strand region. Respectively, a hairpin duplex d(A12C4T12) and a single strand d(A12) form a triplex as a 1:1 complex in which the second adenine strand is parallel oriented to the homologous one in the Watson-Crick paired duplex. In this system the melting temperature T(m) of the triplex is practically the same as that of the duplex d(A12)-d(T12), at least within a complex concentration range of 0.2-4.0 microM. The melting behaviour of complexes between triplex stabilizing ligand BePI and the system hairpin duplex plus single strand supports the triplex model. Non-denaturing gel electrophoresis suggests the existence of a triplex for a system in which five of the twelve A-T*A base triads are substituted by C-G*C base triads. The recognition between any substituted Watson-Crick base pair (X-Y) in the hairpin duplex d(A4XA7C4T7YT4) and the correspondingly replaced base (Z) in the third strand d(A4ZA7) is mutually selective. All triplexes with matching base substitutions (Z = X) have nearly the same stability (T(m) values from 29 to 33.5 degrees C), whereas triplexes with non-matching substitutions (Z not equal X) show a clearly reduced stability (T(m) values from 15 to 22 degrees C) at 2microM equimolar oligonucleotide concentration. Most nucleic acid triple helices hitherto known are limited to homopurine-homopyrimidine sequences in the target duplex. A stable triplex formation is demonstrated for inhomogeneous sequences tolerating at least 50% pyrimidine content in the homologous strands. On the basis of the surprisingly similar thermodynamic parameters for duplex and triplex, and of the fact that this triplex type seems to be more stable than many other natural DNA triplexes known, and on the basis of semiempirical and molecule mechanical calculations, we postulate bridging interactions of the third strand with the two other strands in the triplex according to the recombination motif. This triplex, denoted by us 'recombination-like form', tolerates heterogeneous base sequences.

Triple helix formation and the antigene strategy for sequence-specific control of gene expression

Specific gene expression involves the binding of natural ligands to the DNA base pairs. Among the compounds rationally designed for artificial regulation of gene expression, oligonucleotides can bind with a high specificity of recognition to the major groove of double helical DNA by forming Hoogsteen type bonds with purine bases of the Watson-Crick base pairs, resulting in triple helix formation. Although the potential target sequences were originally restricted to polypurine-polypyrimidine sequences, considerable efforts were devoted to the extension of the repertoire by rational conception of appropriate derivatives. Efficient tools based on triple helices were developed for various biochemical applications such as the development of highly specific artificial nucleases. The antigene strategy remains one of the most fascinating fields of triplex application to selectively control gene expression. Targeting of genomic sequences is now proved to be a valuable concept on a still limited number of studies; local mutagenesis is in this respect an interesting application of triplex-forming oligonucleotides on cell cultures. Oligonucleotide penetration and compartmentalization in cells, stability to intracellular nucleases, accessibility of the target sequences in the chromatin context, the residence time on the specific target are all limiting steps that require further optimization. The existence and the role of three-stranded DNA in vivo, its interaction with intracellular proteins is worth investigating, especially relative to the regulation of gene transcription, recombination and repair processes.

Triple helix formation with purine-rich phosphorothioate-containing oligonucleotides covalently linked to an acridine derivative

Purine-rich (GA)- and (GT)-containing oligophosphorothioates were investigated for their triplex-forming potential on a 23 bp DNA duplex target. In our system, GA-containing oligophosphorothioates (23mer GA-PS) were capable of triplex formation with binding affinities lower than (GA)-containing oligophosphodiesters (23mer GA-PO). The orientation of the third strand 23mers GA-PS and GA-PO was antiparallel to the purine strand of the duplex DNA target. In contrast, (GT)-containing oligophosphorothioates (23mer GT-PS) did not support triplex formation in either orientation, whereas the 23mer GT-PO oligophosphodiester demonstrated triplex formation in the antiparallel orientation. GA-PS oligonucleotides, in contrast to GT-PS oligonucleotides, were capable of self-association, but these self-associated structures exhibited lower stabilities than those formed with GA-PO oligonucleotides, suggesting that homoduplex formation (previously described for the 23mer GA-PO sequence by Noonberg et al.) could not fully account for the decrease in triplex stability when phosphorothioate linkages were used. The 23mer GA-PS oligonucleotide was covalently linked via its 5'-end to an acridine derivative (23mer Acr-GA-PS). In the presence of potassium cations, this conjugate demonstrated triplex formation with higher binding affinity than the unmodified 23mer GA-PS oligonucleotide and even than the 23mer GA-PO oligonucleotide. A (GA)-containing oligophosphodiester with two phosphorothioate linkages at both the 5'- and 3'-ends exhibited similar binding affinity to duplex DNA compared with the unmodified GA-PO oligophosphodiester. This capped oligonucleotide was more resistant to nucleases than the GA-PO oligomer and thus represents a good alternative for ex vivo applications of (GA)-containing, triplex-forming oligonucleotides, allowing a higher binding affinity for its duplex target without rapid cellular degradation.