A Click Chemistry-Based Artificial Metallo-Nuclease

Alex Gibney, Raphael E.F. de Paiva, Vandana Singh, Robert Fox, Damien Thompson, Joseph Hennessy, Creina Slator, Christine J. McKenzie, Pegah Johansson, Vickie McKee, Fredrik Westerlund, Andrew Kellett

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Artificial metallo-nucleases (AMNs) are promising DNA damaging drug candidates. Here, we demonstrate how the 1,2,3-triazole linker produced by the Cu-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction can be directed to build Cu-binding AMN scaffolds. We selected biologically inert reaction partners tris(azidomethyl)mesitylene and ethynyl-thiophene to develop TC-Thio, a bioactive C3-symmetric ligand in which three thiophene-triazole moieties are positioned around a central mesitylene core. The ligand was characterised by X-ray crystallography and forms multinuclear CuII and CuI complexes identified by mass spectrometry and rationalised by density functional theory (DFT). Upon Cu coordination, CuII-TC-Thio becomes a potent DNA binding and cleaving agent. Mechanistic studies reveal DNA recognition occurs exclusively at the minor groove with subsequent oxidative damage promoted through a superoxide- and peroxide-dependent pathway. Single molecule imaging of DNA isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells shows that the complex has comparable activity to the clinical drug temozolomide, causing DNA damage that is recognised by a combination of base excision repair (BER) enzymes.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere202305759
Pages (from-to)e202305759
JournalAngewandte Chemie - International Edition
Volume62
Issue number38
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18 Sep 2023

Keywords

  • Click Chemistry
  • Copper
  • DNA Damage
  • Nuclease

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