G-quadruplex induced chirality of methylazacalix[6]pyridine via unprecedented binding stoichiometry: en route to multiplex controlled molecular switch

Sci Rep. 2015 May 20:5:10479. doi: 10.1038/srep10479.

Abstract

Nucleic acid based molecular device is a developing research field which attracts great interests in material for building machinelike nanodevices. G-quadruplex, as a new type of DNA secondary structures, can be harnessed to construct molecular device owing to its rich structural polymorphism. Herein, we developed a switching system based on G-quadruplexes and methylazacalix[6]pyridine (MACP6). The induced circular dichroism (CD) signal of MACP6 was used to monitor the switch controlled by temperature or pH value. Furthermore, the CD titration, Job-plot, variable temperature CD and (1)H-NMR experiments not only confirmed the binding mode between MACP6 and G-quadruplex, but also explained the difference switching effect of MACP6 and various G-quadruplexes. The established strategy has the potential to be used as the chiral probe for specific G-quadruplex recognition.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Calixarenes / chemistry*
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Computers, Molecular*
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • G-Quadruplexes*
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Oligonucleotides / chemistry*
  • Temperature

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Oligonucleotides
  • methylazacalix(6)pyridine
  • Calixarenes
  • DNA