Three-State Fluorescence of a 2-Functionalized Pyrene-Based RNA Label.

The pyrene-based RNA-fluorescence label 2-(2-pyrenylethynyl) adenosine (2PyA) shows triexponential fluorescence, which depends strongly on the excitation wavelength. Most strikingly, a structured, long-lived fluorescence is observed in solution at room temperature after excitation into the S2 state, which is shifted hypsochromically by 30 nm compared to excitation into the S1 state. This very unusual behavior is investigated in detail with steady-state and time-resolved emission spectroscopy, ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy, and quantum chemical calculations with both wave functions (CC2-level) and density-functional theory (DFT). 2PyA is found to emit simultaneously from two different intramolecular charge transfer states (mesomeric and twisted, MICT and TICT) which are populated most efficiently via the S1 state and a pyrene-like locally excited (LE) state. Rotational momentum derived from excess excitation energy is required to populate twisted LE configurations. Therefore, the LE state is most efficiently accessible via excitation to the S2. The stabilization of the different substates is related to two distinct reaction coordinates: the adenine-pyrene distance and the adenine-pyrene tilt angle, respectively.

Design, Synthesis, and Antiviral Activity of Novel Ribonucleosides of 1,2,3-Triazolylbenzyl-aminophosphonates.

A novel series of ribonucleosides of 1,2,3-triazolylbenzyl-aminophosphonates was synthesized through the Kabachnik-Fields reaction using I2 as catalyst followed by copper-catalyzed cycloaddition of the azide-alkyne reaction (CuAAC). All structures of the newly prepared compounds were characterized by (1) H NMR, (13) C NMR, and HRMS spectra. The structures of 2e, 2f, 3d, and 3g were further confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. These compounds were tested against various strains of DNA and RNA viruses; compounds 4b and 4c showed a modest inhibitory activity against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and compound 4h displayed modest inhibitory activity against Coxsackie virus B4.

The Three Possible 2-(Pyrenylethynyl) Adenosines: Rotameric Energy Barriers Govern the Photodynamics of These Structural Isomers.

This article presents a comprehensive study of the photophysics of 2-(2-pyrenylethynyl) adenosine and 2-(4-pyrenylethynyl) adenosine, which are structural isomers of the well-established fluorescent RNA label 2-(1-pyrenylethynyl) adenosine. We performed steady-state and ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy studies along with time-resolved fluorescence emission experiments in different solvents to work out the interplay of locally excited and charge-transfer states. We found the ultrafast photodynamics to be crucial for the fluorescence decay behavior, which extends up to tens of nanoseconds and is partially multi-exponential. These features in the ultrafast dynamics are indicative of the rotational energy barriers in the first excited state.

Inhibition of replication of hepatitis B virus in transgenic mice following administration of hepatotropic lipoplexes containing guanidinopropyl-modified siRNAs.

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) occurs commonly and complications that arise from persistence of the virus are associated with high mortality. Available licensed drugs have modest curative efficacy and advancing new therapeutic strategies to eliminate the virus is therefore a priority. HBV is susceptible to inactivation by exogenous gene silencers that harness RNA interference (RNAi) and the approach has therapeutic potential. To advance RNAi-based treatment for HBV infection, use in vivo of hepatotropic lipoplexes containing siRNAs with guanidinopropyl (GP) modifications is reported here. Lipoplexes contained polyglutamate, which has previously been shown to facilitate formulation and improve efficiency of the non-viral vectors. GP moieties were included in a previously described anti-HBV siRNA that effectively targeted the conserved viral X sequence. Particles had physical properties that were suitable for use in vivo: average diameter was approximately 50-200 nm and surface charge (zeta potential) was +65 mV. Efficient hepatotropic delivery of labeled siRNA was observed following systemic intravenous injection of the particles into HBV transgenic mice. Good inhibition of markers of viral replication was observed without evidence of toxicity. Efficacy of the GP-modified siRNAs was significantly more durable and formulations made up with chemically modified siRNAs were less immunostimulatory. An RNAi-mediated mechanism was confirmed by demonstrating that HBV mRNA cleavage occurred in vivo at the intended target site. Collectively these data indicate that GP-modified siRNAs formulated in anionic polymer-containing lipoplexes are effective silencers of HBV replication in vivo and have therapeutic potential.

Crystal structure of 2-benzamido-N-(2,2-di-eth-oxy-eth-yl)benzamide.

In the title compound, C20H24N2O4, both peptide bonds adopt a trans configuration with respect to the -N-H and -C=O groups. The dihedral angle between the aromatic rings is 53.58 (4)°. The mol-ecular conformation is stabilized by an intra-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bond. The crystal packing is characterized by zigzag chains of N-H⋯O hydrogen-bonded mol-ecules running along the b-axis direction.

Use of guanidinopropyl-modified siRNAs to silence gene expression.

Silencing gene expression by harnessing the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway with short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) has useful analytical and potentially therapeutic application. To augment silencing efficacy of siRNAs, chemical modification has been employed to improve stability, target specificity, and delivery to target tissues. siRNAs incorporating guanidinopropyl (GP) moieties have demonstrated enhanced target gene silencing in cell culture and in vivo models of hepatitis B virus replication. Here we describe the synthesis of GP-modified siRNAs and use of 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5' RACE) to verify an RNAi-mediated mechanism of action of these novel chemically modified siRNAs.

Selective uncaging of DNA through reaction rate selectivity.

The synthesis and use of the new nucleobase-caged nucleotides dT(pHP) and dT(NDEACM) is reported. Through a combination of time and wavelength selectivity four levels of selective uncaging with only two cages, and only two wavelengths, were obtained. The new residue dT(pHP) can be uncaged at 313 nm without the formation of unwanted cyclic pyridine dimers.

Benzimidazole-1,2,3-triazole hybrid molecules: synthesis and evaluation for antibacterial/antifungal activity.

A novel series of hybrid molecules 4a-i and 5a-i were prepared by condensation of 4-(trimethylsilylethynyl)benzaldehyde 1 with substituted o-phenylenediamines. These in turn were reacted with 2-(azidomethoxy)ethyl acetate in a Cu alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) to generate the 1,2,3-triazole pharmacophore under microwave assistance. The newly synthesized compounds were examined for their in vitro antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and the phytopathogenic fungi Verticillium dahliae and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis. 2-((4-(4-(5-Trifluoromethyl benzimidazol-2-yl)phenyl)-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)methoxy)ethanol 5e showed a moderate inhibition of 30% in the Foa sporulation test.

Three different fluoro- or chloro-substituted 1'-deoxy-1'-phenyl-ß-D-ribofuranoses.

Crystal structures are reported for three fluoro- or chloro-substituted 1'-deoxy-1'-phenyl-ß-D-ribofuranoses, namely 1'-deoxy-1'-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)-ß-D-ribofuranose, C11H11F3O4, (I), 1'-deoxy-1'-(2,4,6-trifluorophenyl)-ß-D-ribofuranose, C11H11F3O4, (II), and 1'-(4-chlorophenyl)-1'-deoxy-ß-D-ribofuranose, C11H13ClO4, (III). The five-membered furanose ring of the three compounds has a conformation between a C2'-endo,C3'-exo twist and a C2'-endo envelope. The ribofuranose groups of (I) and (III) are connected by intermolecular O-H···O hydrogen bonds to six symmetry-related molecules to form double layers, while the ribofuranose group of (II) is connected by O-H···O hydrogen bonds to four symmetry-related molecules to form single layers. The O···O contact distance of the O-H···O hydrogen bonds ranges from 2.7172 (15) to 2.8895 (19) Å. Neighbouring double layers of (I) are connected by a very weak intermolecular C-F···π contact. The layers of (II) are connected by one C-H···O and two C-H···F contacts, while the double layers of (III) are connected by a C-H···Cl contact. The conformations of the molecules are compared with those of seven related molecules. The orientation of the benzene ring is coplanar with the H-C1' bond or bisecting the H-C1'-C2' angle, or intermediate between these positions. The orientation of the benzene ring is independent of the substitution pattern of the ring and depends mainly on crystal-packing effects.

Synthesis of new 1,2,3-triazol-4-yl-quinazoline nucleoside and acyclonucleoside analogues.

In this study, we describe the synthesis of 1,4-disustituted-1,2,3-triazolo-quinazoline ribonucleosides or acyclonucleosides by means of 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between various O or N-alkylated propargyl-quinazoline and 1'-azido-2',3',5'-tri-O-benzoylribose or activated alkylating agents under microwave conditions. None of the compounds selected showed significant anti-HCV activity in vitro.

Four related diethyl [(arylamino)(4-ethynylphenyl)methyl]phosphonates.

Crystal structures are reported for four related diethyl [(arylamino)(4-ethynylphenyl)lmethyl]phosphonate derivatives, namely diethyl [(4-bromoanilino)(4-ethynylphenyl)methyl]phosphonate, C19H21BrNO3P, (I), diethyl ((4-chloro-2-methylanilino){4-[2-(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl]phenyl}methyl)phosphonate, C23H31ClNO3PSi, (II), diethyl ((4-fluoroanilino){4-[2-(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl]phenyl}methyl)phosphonate, C22H29FNO3PSi, (III), and diethyl [(4-ethynylphenyl)(naphthalen-2-ylamino)methyl]phosphonate, C23H24NO3P, (IV). The conformation of the anilinobenzyl group is very similar in all four compounds. The P-C bond has an approximately staggered conformation, with the aniline and ethynylphenyl groups in gauche positions with respect to the P=O double bond. The two six-membered rings are almost perpendicular. The sums of the valence angles about the N atoms vary from 344 (2) to 351 (2)°. In the crystal structures, molecules of (I), (III) and (IV) are arranged as centrosymmetric or pseudocentrosymmetric dimers connected by two N-H···O=P hydrogen bonds. The molecules of (II) are arranged as centrosymmetric dimers connected by C(methyl)-H···O=P hydrogen bonds. The N-H bond of (II) is not involved in hydrogen bonding.

Synthesis and antiproliferative activity of quinolone nucleosides against the human myelogenous leukemia k-562 cell line.

A set of 6-substituted quinolone nucleosides linked to aniline or phenol via N or O heteroatom-bridges presenting new compounds were synthesized by palladium-catalyzed Buchwald-Hartwig cross-coupling reactions. 6-Bromoquinolone nucleoside precursors, being protected by either benzoyl or TBDMS protecting groups on the ribose moiety, were subjected to different Buchwald-Hartwig conditions as the key step. Defined deprotection steps led, in good yields, to the final target compounds that carry, in position 3, either ester, acid, or amide functions. Thus, a series of novel quinolone nucleoside derivatives was obtained via a convergent synthesis route. Biological tests in human chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cells exerted an efficient antiproliferative activity for two of them without induction of differentiation. These novel nucleosides deserve further experiments to determine their antiproliferative effects on other CML cell lines.

5-[(1R,2R,4R)-2-Meth-oxy-1,7,7-tri-methylbi-cyclo-[2.2.1]hept-2-yl]-1H-tetra-zole.

The title compound, C12H20N4O, undergoes a phase transition on cooling. The room-temperature structure is tetra-gonal (P43212, Z' = 1), with the meth-oxy-bornyl group being extremely disordered. Below 213 K the structure is ortho-rhom-bic (P212121, Z' = 2), with ordered mol-ecules. The two independent mol-ecules (A and B) have very similar conformations; significant differences only occur for the torsion angles about the Cborn-yl-Ctetra-zole bonds. The independent mol-ecules are approximately related by the pseudo-symmetry relation: xB = -1/4 + yA , yB = 3/4 - xA and zB = 1/4 + zA . In the crystal, mol-ecules are connected by N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds between the tetra-zole groups, forming a pseudo-43 helix parallel to the c-axis direction. The crystal studied was a merohedral twin with a refined twin fraction value of 0.231 (2).

Inhibition of hepatitis B virus replication in cultured cells and in vivo using 2'-O-guanidinopropyl modified siRNAs.

Silencing hepatitis B virus (HBV) gene expression with exogenous activators of the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway has shown promise as a new mode of treating infection with the virus. However, optimizing efficacy, specificity, pharmacokinetics and stability of RNAi activators remains a priority before clinical application of this promising therapeutic approach is realised. Chemical modification of synthetic short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) provides the means to address these goals. This study aimed to assess the benefits of incorporating nucleotides with 2'-O-guanidinopropyl (GP) modifications into siRNAs that target HBV. Single GP residues were incorporated at nucleotide positions from 2 to 21 of the antisense strand of a previously characterised effective antiHBV siRNA. When tested in cultured cells, siRNAs with GP moieties at selected positions improved silencing efficacy. Stability of chemically modified siRNAs in 80% serum was moderately improved and better silencing effects were observed without evidence for toxicity or induction of an interferon response. Moreover, partially complementary target sequences were less susceptible to silencing by siRNAs with GP residues located in the seed region. Hydrodynamic co-injection of siRNAs with a replication-competent HBV plasmid resulted in highly effective knock down of markers of viral replication in mice. Evidence for improved efficacy, reduced off target effects and good silencing in vivo indicate that GP-modifications of siRNAs may be used to enhance their therapeutic utility.

Biphenyl- and phenylnaphthalenyl-substituted 1H-imidazole-4,5-dicarbonitrile catalysts for the coupling reaction of nucleoside methyl phosphonamidites.

Crystal structures are reported for three substituted 1H-imidazole-4,5-dicarbonitrile compounds used as catalysts for the coupling reaction of nucleoside methyl phosphonamidites, namely 2-(3',5'-dimethylbiphenyl-2-yl)-1H-imidazole-4,5-dicarbonitrile, C19H14N4, (I), 2-(2',4',6'-trimethylbiphenyl-2-yl)-1H-imidazole-4,5-dicarbonitrile, C20H16N4, (II), and 2-[8-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)naphthalen-1-yl]-1H-imidazole-4,5-dicarbonitrile, C23H16N4, (III). The asymmetric unit of (I) contains two independent molecules with similar conformations. There is steric repulsion between the imidazole group and the terminal phenyl group in all three compounds, resulting in the nonplanarity of the molecules. The naphthalene group of (III) shows significant deviation from planarity. The C-N bond lengths in the imidazole rings range from 1.325 (2) to 1.377 (2) Å. The molecules are connected into zigzag chains by intermolecular N-H···N(imidazole) [for (I)] or N-H····N(cyano) [for (II) and (III)] hydrogen bonds.

Gene silencing by chemically modified siRNAs.

RNA interference (RNAi) has not only already risen as a gold standard for validating gene function in basic science studies, but also holds great promise as a new therapeutic paradigm. Advantages of RNAi-based therapeutics include relatively fast initial screening and the ability to target proteins not yet addressable by traditional drug design strategies. In this review we describe the development of chemically modified small inhibiting siRNAs and their application as potential therapeutics during the past decade. Focus is on proper siRNA design, choice of chemical modification and how to circumvent immunogenicity as well as off-target effects.

Inhibition of hepatitis C virus RNA translation by antisense bile acid conjugated phosphorothioate modified oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN).

BACKGROUND: The 5'-noncoding region (5'NCR) of the HCV-genome comprises an internal ribosome entry site essential for HCV-translation/replication. Phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides (tS-ODN) complementary to this region can inhibit HCV-translation in vitro. In this study, bile acid conjugated tS-ODN were generated to increase cell-selective inhibition of 5'NCR-dependent HCV-translation. METHODS: Different bile acid conjugated tS-ODN complementary to the HCV5'NCR were selected for their inhibitory potential in an in vitro transcription/translation assay. To analyze OATP (organic anion transporting polypeptides)-selective uptake of bile acid conjugated ODN, different hepatoma cells were stably transfected with the OATP1B1-transporter and primary human hepatocytes were used. An adenovirus encoding the HCV5'NCR fused to the luciferase gene (Ad-GFP-NCRluc) was generated to quantify 5'NCR-dependent HCV gene expression in OATP-overexpressing hepatoma cells and in vivo. RESULTS: A 17mer phosphorothioate modified ODN (tS-ODN4_13) complementary to HCV5'NCR was able to inhibit 5'NCR-dependent HCV-translation in an in vitro transcription/translation test system by more than 90% and it was also effective in Huh7-cells containing the HCV subgenomic replicon. Conjugation to taurocholate (tS-ODN4_13T) significantly increased selective ODN uptake by primary human hepatocytes and by OATP1B1-expressing HepG2-cells compared to parental HepG2-cells. Correspondingly, tS-ODN4_13T significantly inhibited HCV gene expression in liver-derived OATP1B1-expressing HepG2- or CCL13-cells up to 70% compared to unconjugated tS-ODN and compared to mismatch taurocholate coupled tS-ODN. In vivo, tS-ODN4_13T showed also a trend to block 5'NCR-dependent HCV gene expression. CONCLUSIONS: The tested taurocholate conjugated 17mer antisense ODN complementary to HCV5'NCV showed an increased and selective uptake by hepatocytes and liver-derived cells through OATP-mediated transport resulting in enhanced specific inhibition of HCV gene expression in vitro and in vivo. Thus, this novel approach may represent a promising strategy to improve antisense approaches with ODN in the control of hepatitis C infection.

Conformational states of 2'-C-methylpyrimidine nucleosides in single and double nucleic acid stranded structures.

The hybridization performance of a set of 12-mer RNA:RNA duplexes containing 2'-C-methyluridine, 5-bromo-2'-C-methyluridine, or (2'S)-2'-deoxy-2'-C-methyluridine was analyzed. Melting point temperatures of the modified duplexes showed an important ΔT(m) decrease (-8.9 to -12.5 °C), while circular dichroism experiments indicated that the helix was still A-type, suggesting a localized disturbance disorder. Molecular dynamics simulations using AMBER were carried out in order to gain structural knowledge about the effect of the 2'-C-methyl modification in double stranded environments. On the other hand, in an attempt to explain the behavior of the 2'-deoxy-2'-C-methyl nucleosides in single stranded environments, like the 10-23 DNAzyme core, molecular dynamic simulations were performed, incorporating the modified analogues into single stranded reported stem-loop structures, studding the sugar conformations along the MD trajectories. It was observed that, despite their preferential conformational states, the 2'-C-methyl analogues are flexible enough to adopt a different puckering in single stranded environments.

Attachment of nitroxide spin labels to nucleic acids for EPR.

In addition to X-ray, NMR, and FRET, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) can be applied to elucidate the structure of different macromolecular systems and determine local surroundings of paramagnetic centers in DNA and RNA. This technique permits structural characterization as well as dynamic structural changes of macromolecular systems. To do so, free radicals with good stability must be introduced. Here, the site-directed spin labeling of DNA and RNA based on the Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction is described. First, the appropriate building blocks, either 5-iodo-substituted pyrimidine deoxy- or ribo-nucleoside phosphoramidites are prepared and incorporated by solid-phase synthesis. Following this, the protected oligonucleotides are "on column" reacted with the acetylenic nitroxide spin labels and subsequently purified. Applications of this technique for duplexes, hairpins, and riboswitches in vitro and in cell are described.

2-({4-[4-(1H-Benzimidazol-2-yl)phen-yl]-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl}meth-oxy)ethanol.

In the title molecule, C(18)H(17)N(5)O(2), the dihedral angle between the benzene plane and the benzimidazole plane is 19.8 (1)° and the angle between the benzene plane and the triazole plane is 16.7 (1)°. In the crystal, mol-ecules are connected by O-H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming zigzag chains along the c-axis direction. The chains are connected by bifurcated N-H⋯(N,N) hydrogen bonds into layers parallel to (100). These layers are connected along the a-axis direction by weak C-H⋯O contacts, forming a three-dimensional network.