A Flexible Quadruple-Stranded Helicate Demonstrates a Strong Binding Preference for DNA Three-Way Junctions by Induced Fit.

ABSTRACT: Nucleic acid junctions are key to many biological functions from recombination and repair to viral nucleic acid insertion and are an attractive, functional biomolecular target. We describe a quadruple-stranded diplatinum helicate that binds both three-way (3WJ) and four-way DNA junctions (4WJ). This allows us to probe the relative importance of size and shape in junction-binder design. Despite the helicate's tetragonal symmetry/shape being compatible with the 4WJ, microscale thermophoresis (MST), isothermal calorimetry (ITC), and gel electrophoresis competition experiments demonstrate that this metallo-supramolecule displays a stronger affinity for 3WJs (K_d = 12 nM) than for 4WJs (K_d > 4 μM) and other DNA structures. The experimental findings are supported by molecula

SUBMITTER: Williams HD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12593396 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature