Incorporation of a metal-mediated base pair into an ATP aptamer – using silver(I) ions to modulate aptamer function

• Marius H. Heddinga and
• Jens Müller

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 2870–2879, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.236

• towards ATP is restored again. The silver(I)-mediated base-pair formation was particularly suitable to modulate the aptamer function when the Im:Im mispairs (and hence the resulting metal-mediated base pairs) were located close to the ATP-binding pocket of the aptamer. Being able to trigger the aptamer

• function opens new possibilities for applications of oligonucleotides. Keywords: aptamer; ATP; bioinorganic chemistry; DNA; imidazole; metal-mediated base pairs; Introduction Aptamers are oligonucleotides capable of recognizing and binding to specific molecules up to the size of proteins [1]. While

• to release a DNA-bound cargo (in the form of small organic molecules) [10]. Similarly, metal ions can trigger DNA folding into a catalytically active topology [11][12]. Metal-mediated base pairs are artificial base pairs in which hydrogen bonds between the complementary nucleobases are formally

Metal-mediated base pairs in parallel-stranded DNA

• Jens Müller

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 2671–2681, doi:10.3762/bjoc.13.265

• Jens Muller Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie, Corrensstraße 30, 48149 Münster, Germany 10.3762/bjoc.13.265 Abstract In nucleic acid chemistry, metal-mediated base pairs represent a versatile method for the site-specific introduction of

• metal-based functionality. In metal-mediated base pairs, the hydrogen bonds between complementary nucleobases are replaced by coordinate bonds to one or two transition metal ions located in the helical core. In recent years, the concept of metal-mediated base pairing has found a significant extension by

• applying it to parallel-stranded DNA duplexes. The antiparallel-stranded orientation of the complementary strands as found in natural B-DNA double helices enforces a cisoid orientation of the glycosidic bonds. To enable the formation of metal-mediated base pairs preferring a transoid orientation of the

Second generation silver(I)-mediated imidazole base pairs

• Susanne Hensel,
• Nicole Megger,
• Kristina Schweizer and
• Jens Müller

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2014, 10, 2139–2144, doi:10.3762/bjoc.10.221

• artificial metal-mediated base pairs. We show here that its stability can be further improved by formally replacing the imidazole moiety by a 2-methylimidazole or 4-methylimidazole moiety. A comparison of the thermal stability of several double helices shows that the addition of one equivalent of Ag(I) leads

• ; metal-mediated base pairs; nucleic acids; nucleosides; Introduction Nucleic acids with their evolutionary optimized self-assembling properties represent an ideal basis for the generation of artificial, site-specifically functionalized supramolecular aggregates [1][2][3][4]. In this context, numerous

• -called metal-mediated base pairs between two complementary ligand-derived artificial nucleobases can be formed. Accordingly, metal-based functionality can be introduced site-specifically into nucleic acids. Various applications have been reported for such metal-modified nucleic acids [5], including