Effect of Chirality on the Elastic Properties of the DNA-Threading Binuclear Ruthenium Complex
Paper in proceeding, 2020

Transition metal-based small molecules have been promising candidates for cancer treatments. A certain type of these molecules falls into a category known as threading intercalators, that have a dumbbell shape with a flat intercalating section in between bulky side chains. In order to bind to DNA, they must thread one of their bulky side chains through the DNA base pairs. The ruthenium-based molecule, ΛΛ-[μ-bidppz(phen)4Ru2]4+ (ΛΛ-P for short), is a transition metal-based threading intercalator. We use optical tweezers to study the interactions of ΛΛ-P with DNA to compare it with the previously studied ΔΔ-P, a complex that has the same chemical components but an opposite chirality. In these studies, we use the optical tweezers to trap a single DNA molecule and stretch it in the presence of various concentrations of ΛΛ-P. The DNA stretches obtained at saturated concentrations of ΛΛ-P at various forces allows us to obtain the effective elastic properties of the DNA-ΛΛ-P complex. This allows us to compare these properties to the previously studied ΔΔ-P complex to determine whether chirality has an effect. This type of comparison may lead us towards a better understanding of the role chirality has towards DNA binding.

Author

Adam A. Jabak

Bridgewater State University

Nicholas Bryden

Bridgewater State University

Fredrik Westerlund

Chalmers, Biology and Biological Engineering, Chemical Biology

Per Lincoln

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Micah J. McCauley

Northwestern University

Ioulia F. Rouzina

Ohio State University

Mark C. Williams

Northwestern University

Thayaparan Paramanathan

Bridgewater State University

Biophysical Journal

0006-3495 (ISSN) 1542-0086 (eISSN)

Vol. 118 3, Supplement 1 617a-

64th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society
San Diego, USA,

Subject Categories

Physiology

Other Physics Topics

Biophysics

DOI

10.1016/j.bpj.2019.11.3329

More information

Latest update

5/25/2020