In and out of the minor groove: interaction of an AT-rich DNA with the drug CD27
- Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya, Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona (Spain)
- Instituto de Química Médica, IQM–CSIC, Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006 Madrid (Spain)
- University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, Scotland (United Kingdom)
New features of an antiprotozoal DNA minor-groove binding drug, which acts as a cross-linking agent, are presented. It also fills the minor groove of DNA completely and prevents the access of proteins. These features are also expected for other minor-groove binding drugs when associated with suitable DNA targets. The DNA of several pathogens is very rich in AT base pairs. Typical examples include the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and the causative agents of trichomoniasis and trypanosomiases. This fact has prompted studies of drugs which interact with the minor groove of DNA, some of which are used in medical practice. Previous studies have been performed almost exclusively with the AATT sequence. New features should be uncovered through the study of different DNA sequences. In this paper, the crystal structure of the complex of the DNA duplex d(AAAATTTT){sub 2} with the dicationic drug 4, 4′-bis(imidazolinylamino)diphenylamine (CD27) is presented. The drug binds to the minor groove of DNA as expected, but it shows two new features that have not previously been described: (i) the drugs protrude from the DNA and interact with neighbouring molecules, so that they may act as cross-linking agents, and (ii) the drugs completely cover the whole minor groove of DNA and displace bound water. Thus, they may prevent the access to DNA of proteins such as AT-hook proteins. These features are also expected for other minor-groove binding drugs when associated with all-AT DNA. These findings allow a better understanding of this family of compounds and will help in the development of new, more effective drugs. New data on the biological interaction of CD27 with the causative agent of trichomoniasis, Trichomonas vaginalis, are also reported.
- OSTI ID:
- 22347764
- Journal Information:
- Acta Crystallographica. Section D: Biological Crystallography, Vol. 70, Issue Pt 6; Other Information: PMCID: PMC4051503; PMID: 24914972; PUBLISHER-ID: dz5324; OAI: oai:pubmedcentral.nih.gov:4051503; Copyright (c) Acosta-Reyes et al. 2014; This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original authors and source are cited.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0907-4449
- Country of Publication:
- Denmark
- Language:
- English
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