Issue 17, 2024

Iridium(iii)-based minor groove binding complexes as DNA photocleavage agents

Abstract

Transition metal complexes containing the qtpy ligand (2′:4,4′′:4′,4′′′-quaterpyridyl) are known to be DNA intercalators or minor groove binders. In this study, new tricationic iridium(III) complexes of qtpy are reported. Both [Ir(bpy)2(qtpy)]3+1 and [Ir(phen)2(qtpy)]3+2 display good water solubility as chloride salts. The complexes possess high-energy excited states, which are quenched in the presence of duplex DNA and even by the mononucleotides guanosine monophosphate and adenosine monophosphate. Further studies reveal that although the complexes bind to quadruplex DNA, they display a preference for duplex structures, which are bound with an order of magnitude higher affinities than their isostructural dicationic RuII-analogues. Detailed molecular dynamics simulations confirm that the complexes are groove binders through the insertion of, predominantly, the qtpy ligand into the minor groove. Photoirradiation of 1 in the presence of plasmid DNA confirms that this class of complexes can function as synthetic photonucleases by cleaving DNA.

Graphical abstract: Iridium(iii)-based minor groove binding complexes as DNA photocleavage agents

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Jan 2024
Accepted
04 Mar 2024
First published
11 Mar 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Dalton Trans., 2024,53, 7282-7291

Iridium(III)-based minor groove binding complexes as DNA photocleavage agents

S. O. Aderinto, T. John, A. Onawole, R. P. Galleh and J. A. Thomas, Dalton Trans., 2024, 53, 7282 DOI: 10.1039/D4DT00171K

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