An Endoplasmic Reticulum Specific Pro-amplifier of Reactive Oxygen Species in Cancer Cells.

The folding and export of proteins and hydrolysis of unfolded proteins are disbalanced in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of cancer cells, leading to so-called ER stress. Agents further augmenting this effect are used as anticancer drugs including clinically approved proteasome inhibitors bortezomib and carfilzomib. However, these drugs can affect normal cells, which also rely strongly on ER functions, leading, for example, to accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). To address this problem, we have developed ER-targeted prodrugs activated only in cancer cells in the presence of elevated ROS amounts. These compounds are conjugates of cholic acid with N-alkylaminoferrocene-based prodrugs. We confirmed their accumulation in the ER of cancer cells, their anticancer efficacy, and cancer cell specificity. These prodrugs induce ER stress, attenuate mitochondrial membrane potential, and generate mitochondrial ROS leading to cell death via necrosis. We also demonstrated that the new prodrugs are activated in vivo in Nemeth-Kellner lymphoma (NK/Ly) murine model.

Red light-triggered photoreduction on a nucleic acid template.

Conjugate Sn(iv)(pyropheophorbide a)dichloride-(peptide nucleic acid) catalyzes reduction of azobenzene derivatives in the presence of complementary nucleic acid (NA) upon irridiation with red light (660 nm). This is the first red light-induced NA-templated photoreduction. It is highly sensitive to single mismatches in the NA-template and can detect down to 5 nM NAs.

[1,10]Phenanthroline based cyanine dyes as fluorescent probes for ribonucleic acids in live cells.

A series of monomethine, trimethine- and styrylcyanine dyes based on a [1,10]phenanthroline moiety was synthesized, characterized and investigated as potential fluorescent probes for nucleic acids in cell free settings and in cells. The dyes were found to be weakly fluorescent in the unbound state, whereas upon the binding to dsDNA or RNA their emission intensity raised up to 50 times (for monomethine benzothiazole derivative FT1 complexed with RNA). The strongest fluorescence intensity in assemblies with dsDNA and RNA was observed for the trimethine benzothiazole derivative FT4. The quantum yield of FT4 fluorescence in its complex with dsDNA was found to be 1.5% and the binding constant (K b) was estimated to be 7.9 × 104 M-1 that is a typical value for intercalating molecules. The FT4 dye was found to be cell membrane permeable. It stains RNA rich components-the nucleoli and most probably the cytoplasmic RNA. FT4 bound to RNAs delivers a very strong fluorescence signal, which makes this easily accessible dye a potentially useful alternative to known RNA stains, e.g. expensive SYTO® 83. The advantage of FT4 is its easy synthetic access including no chromatographic purification steps, which will be reflected in its substantially lower price.

Red light-controlled polymerase chain reaction.

A 23-mer DNA "caged" at its 3'-terminus with a 9-anthracenyl moiety was prepared. It can be uncaged in the presence of photosensitizer (In(pyropheophorbide-a)chloride)-containing DNAs (9-12 mers) and upon irradiation with red light. This mixture of DNAs was used to design red-light controlled polymerase chain reaction.

Activity of aminoferrocene-based prodrugs against prostate cancer.

We tested cytotoxicity of aminoferrocene-based prodrugs towards human androgen-responsive and unresponsive prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP and DU-145 correspondingly. Two prodrugs were selected, which are both activated at elevated concentrations of ROS with generation of quinone methide (antioxidant system inhibitor) and iron-containing compounds (N-benzylaminoferrocene (prodrug 1) and Fe salts (2)). We observed that only prodrug 1 is active against the selected prostate cancer cells (IC50=11-27 µM) and its activity correlates with the high cell-membrane permeability and increased production of intracellular ROS.

Nucleic acid-specific photoactivation of oligodeoxyribonucleotides labeled with deuterated dihydro-N,N,N',N'-tetramethylrhodamine using green light.

We developed a simple protocol for high-yielding synthesis of conjugates of a deuterated dihydro-N,N,N',N'-tetramethylrhodamine (F*) with oligodeoxyribonucleotides and a 2'-OMe RNA (a representative nuclease-resistant, chemically modified oligonucleotide) using easily accessible starting materials including NaBD4 and conjugates of oligonucleotides with N,N,N',N'-tetramethylrhodamine (F). These compounds were found to be stable in air and insensitive to light at 525, 635 and 650 nm, whereas slow activation occurs upon their exposure to 470 nm light. However, at the conditions of the templated reaction, in the presence of a target nucleic acid and a photocatalyst based on the eosin structure, the F* is oxidized forming fluorescent F. This reaction is >30-fold faster than the background reaction in the absence of the template. Moreover, the presence of a single mismatch in the target nucleic acid slows down the templated reaction by eightfold. These activatable dyes can potentially find applications as nucleic acid-specific probes for super-resolution imaging in live cells.