Title
Efficient copper-based DNA cleavers from carboxylate benzimidazole ligands
Author
Víctor A. Barrera-Guzmán, Edgar O. Rodríguez-Hernández, Naytzé Ortíz-Pastrana, Ricardo Domínguez-González, Ana B. Caballero, Patrick Gamez, Norah Barba-Behrens
Year
2018
Journal
Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry
Abstract
Four copper(II) coordination compounds from 2-benzimidazole propionic acid (Hbzpr) and 4-(benzimidazol-2-yl)-3-thiobutanoic acid (Hbztb) were synthesized and fully characterized by elemental analyses, electronic spectroscopy, FT-IR and mass spectrometry. The molecular structure for the four complexes was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The DNA-interacting properties of the two trinuclear and two mononuclear compounds were investigated using different spectroscopic techniques including absorption titration experiments, fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Trinuclear [Cu3(bzpr)4(H2O)2](NO3)2·3H2O·CH3OH (2) and [Cu3(bzpr)4Cl2]·3H2O (3) bind to DNA through non-intercalative interactions, while for mononuclear [Cu(bzpr)2(H2O)]·2H2O (1) and [Cu(bztb)2]·2H2O (4), at minor concentrations in relation to the DNA, a groove binding interaction is favored, while at higher concentrations an intercalative mode is preferred. The nuclease properties of all complexes were studied by gel electrophoresis, which showed that they were able to cleave supercoiled plasmid DNA (form I) to the nicked form (form II). Compound 4 is even capable of generating linear form III (resulting from double-strand cleavage). The proposed mechanism of action involves an oxidative pathway (Fenton-type reaction), which produces harmful reactive species, like hydroxyl radicals.
Instrument
J-815
Keywords
Circular dichroism, DNA structure, Ligand binding, Biochemistry, Inorganic chemistry