Binding of a Designed Anti-Cancer Drug to the Central Cavity of an RNA Three-Way Junction

摘要

Nucleic acids are exciting biomolecular targets because they offer the potential to regulate information transfer at the beginning, before the genetic code is translated into proteins. Metal complexes that bind to DNA have been of particular interest, with the cationic charge that metals impart being particularly attractive for recognition of these pofyanions. Examples include complexes that coordinate to the bases, intercalate, or bind to the phosphate backbone of regular duplex DNA or, more recently, that recognize less common DNA structures such as bulges, quadruplexes, or junctions. Such complexes have been explored as therapeutic drugs, fluorescent imaging agents,footprinting agents, and for nanotechnology applications.