Structure/affinity studies in the bicyclo-DNA series: Synthesis and properties of oligonucleotides containing bc(en)-T and iso-tricyclo-T nucleosides

Chemically Modified Platforms for Better RNA Therapeutics

RNA-based therapies have catalyzed a revolutionary transformation in the biomedical landscape, offering unprecedented potential in disease prevention and treatment. However, despite their remarkable achievements, these therapies encounter substantial challenges including low stability, susceptibility to degradation by nucleases, and a prominent negative charge, thereby hindering further development. Chemically modified platforms have emerged as a strategic innovation, focusing on precise alterations either on the RNA moieties or their associated delivery vectors. This comprehensive review delves into these platforms, underscoring their significance in augmenting the performance and translational prospects of RNA-based therapeutics. It encompasses an in-depth analysis of various chemically modified delivery platforms that have been instrumental in propelling RNA therapeutics toward clinical utility. Moreover, the review scrutinizes the rationale behind diverse chemical modification techniques aiming at optimizing the therapeutic efficacy of RNA molecules, thereby facilitating robust disease management. Recent empirical studies corroborating the efficacy enhancement of RNA therapeutics through chemical modifications are highlighted. Conclusively, we offer profound insights into the transformative impact of chemical modifications on RNA drugs and delineates prospective trajectories for their future development and clinical integration.

6'-Fluoro[4.3.0]bicyclo nucleic acid: synthesis, biophysical properties and molecular dynamics simulations

Here we report on the synthesis, biophysical properties and molecular modeling of oligonucleotides containing unsaturated 6'-fluoro[4.3.0]bicyclo nucleotides (6'F-bc4,3-DNA). Two 6'F-bc4,3 phosphoramidite building blocks (T and C) were synthesized starting from a previously described [3.3.0]bicyclic sugar. The conversion of this sugar to a gem-difluorinated tricyclic intermediate via difluorocarbene addition followed either by a NIS-mediated or Vorbrüggen nucleosidation yielded in both cases the β-tricyclic nucleoside as major anomer. Subsequent desilylation and cyclopropane ring opening of these tricyclic intermediates afforded the unsaturated 6'F-bc4,3 nucleosides. The successful incorporation of the corresponding phosphoramidite building blocks into oligonucleotides was achieved with tert-butyl hydroperoxide as oxidation agent. Thermal melting experiments of the modified duplexes disclosed a destabilizing effect versus DNA and RNA complements, but with a lesser degree of destabilization versus complementary DNA (ΔT m/mod = -1.5 to -3.7 °C). Molecular dynamics simulation on the nucleoside and oligonucleotide level revealed the preference of the C1'-exo/C2'-endo alignment of the furanose ring. Moreover, the simulation of duplexes with complementary RNA disclosed a DNA/RNA-type duplex structure suggesting that this modification might be a substrate for RNase H.

2'β-Fluoro-Tricyclo Nucleic Acids (2'F-tc-ANA): Thermal Duplex Stability, Structural Studies, and RNase H Activation

We describe the synthesis, thermal stability, structural and RNase H activation properties of 2'β-fluoro-tricyclo nucleic acids (2'F-tc-ANA). Three 2'F-tc-ANA nucleosides (T, ^5Me C and A) were synthesized starting from a previously described fluorinated tricyclo sugar intermediate. NMR analysis and quantum mechanical calculations indicate that 2'F-tc-ANA nucleosides prefer sugar conformations in the East and South regions of the pseudorotational cycle. UV-melting experiments revealed that non-consecutive insertions of 2'F-tc-ANA units in DNA reduce the affinity to DNA and RNA complements. However, an oligonucleotide with five contiguous 2'F-tc-ANA-T insertions exhibits increased affinity to complementary RNA. Moreover, a fully modified 10-mer 2'F-tc-ANA oligonucleotide paired to both DNA (+1.6 °C/mod) and RNA (+2.5 °C/mod) with significantly higher affinity compared to corresponding unmodified DNA, and similar affinity compared to corresponding tc-DNA. In addition, CD spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the conformation of the 2'F-tc-ANA/RNA duplex is similar to that of a DNA/RNA duplex. Moreover, in some sequence contexts, 2'F-tc-ANA promotes RNase H-mediated cleavage of a complementary RNA strand. Taken together, 2'F-tc-ANA represents a nucleic acid analogue that offers the advantage of high RNA affinity while maintaining the ability to activate RNase H, and can be considered a prospective candidate for gene silencing applications.

5'- vs. 3'-end sugar conformational control in shaping up dinucleotides

The 5'-end N-sugar puckering is currently believed to govern the intramolecular dinucleotide stacking. We demonstrate that if this 5'-conformation is indeed important in shaping up dinucleotide structures, the 3'-end sugar conformation can either potentiate or cancel the stacking capacity induced by the 5'-end N-sugar conformation.

227 Views of RNA: Is RNA Unique in Its Chemical Isomer Space?

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is one of the two nucleic acids used by extant biochemistry and plays a central role as the intermediary carrier of genetic information in transcription and translation. If RNA was involved in the origin of life, it should have a facile prebiotic synthesis. A wide variety of such syntheses have been explored. However, to date no one-pot reaction has been shown capable of yielding RNA monomers from likely prebiotically abundant starting materials, though this does not rule out the possibility that simpler, more easily prebiotically accessible nucleic acids may have preceded RNA. Given structural constraints, such as the ability to form complementary base pairs and a linear covalent polymer, a variety of structural isomers of RNA could potentially function as genetic platforms. By using structure-generation software, all the potential structural isomers of the ribosides (BC5H9O4, where B is nucleobase), as well as a set of simpler minimal analogues derived from them, that can potentially serve as monomeric building blocks of nucleic acid-like molecules are enumerated. Molecules are selected based on their likely stability under biochemically relevant conditions (e.g., moderate pH and temperature) and the presence of at least two functional groups allowing the monomers to be incorporated into linear polymers. The resulting structures are then evaluated by using molecular descriptors typically applied in quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) studies and predicted physicochemical properties. Several databases have been queried to determine whether any of the computed isomers had been synthesized previously. Very few of the molecules that emerge from this structure set have been previously described. We conclude that ribonucleosides may have competed with a multitude of alternative structures whose potential proto-biochemical roles and abiotic syntheses remain to be explored.

2'-Fluorination of tricyclo-DNA controls furanose conformation and increases RNA affinity

The synthesis of 2'-fluoro tricyclo-DNA pyrimidine nucleosides with fluorine in the ribo-configuration and their incorporation into oligodeoxynucleotides was accomplished. Unlike the parent tc-T nucleoside, the 2'F-RNA-tc-T unit occurs in the 2'-exo conformation in the crystal. Specifically, F-RNA-tc-T was found to stabilize duplexes with RNA by +2 to +4 °C in Tm/mod. F-RNA-tc-nucleosides mix well with the DNA backbone and thus open up possibilities of using shorter and mixed-(DNA/tc-DNA) backbone oligonucleotides for therapeutic applications.

Synthesis and properties of 6'-fluoro-tricyclo-DNA

The synthesis of the two fluorinated tricyclic nucleosides 6'-F-tc-T and 6'-F-tc-5(Me)C, as well as the corresponding building blocks for oligonucleotide assembly, was accomplished. An X-ray analysis of N(4)-benzoylated 6'-F-tc-(5Me)C reavealed a 2'-exo (north) conformation of the furanose ring, characterizing it as an RNA mimic. In contrast to observations in the bicyclo-DNA series, no short contact between the fluorine atom and the H6 of the base, reminiscent of a nonclassical F···H hydrogen bond, could be observed. Tm measurements of modified oligodeoxynucleotides with complementary RNA showed slightly sequence-dependent duplex stabilization profiles with maximum ΔTm/mod values of +4.5 °C for 6'-F-tc-(5Me)C and +1 °C for 6'-F-tc-T. In comparison with parent tc-modified oligonucleotides, no relevant changes in Tm were detected, attributing the fluorine substituent a neutral role in RNA affinity. A structural analysis of duplexes with DNA and RNA by CD-spectroscopy revealed a shift from B- to A-type conformation induced by the 6'-F-tc-nucleosides. This is not a specific "fluorine effect", as the same is also observed for the parent tc-modifications. The two fluorinated tc-nucleosides were also incorporated into a pure tricyclo-DNA backbone and showed no discrimination in Tm with complementary RNA, demonstrating that 6'-F substitution is also compatible within fully modified tc-oligonucleotides.