Peptide Nucleic Acid Conjugates of Quinone Methide Precursors Alkylate Ribonucleic Acid after Activation with Light

Bioconjug Chem. 2020 Mar 18;31(3):639-645. doi: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.9b00796. Epub 2020 Jan 16.

Abstract

Quinone methide precursors 2 and 3 were protected with a photoreactive 2-nitrobenzyl group and conjugated to peptide nucleic acids (PNA) using a Huisgen click reaction. After brief irradiation at 365 nm, cross-linking with complementary RNA strands started and was analyzed with an ALFexpress sequencer. When this method was used, the gel temperature had a major influence on apparent rates. Quinone methides are known to form transient as well as stable bonds with nucleotides. Although both were detected at 25 °C, analysis at 57 °C only recorded the stable types of cross-links, suggesting much slower alkylation kinetics. Linker 11 allowed us to attach quinone methides to internal positions of the PNA/RNA duplex and to capture a model of miR-20a with good efficiency.

MeSH terms

  • Alkylation
  • Base Sequence
  • Indolequinones / chemistry*
  • Peptide Nucleic Acids / chemistry*
  • Peptide Nucleic Acids / genetics
  • Photochemical Processes*
  • Purines / chemistry
  • RNA / chemistry*
  • RNA / genetics

Substances

  • Indolequinones
  • Peptide Nucleic Acids
  • Purines
  • quinone methide
  • RNA
  • purine