When antitumor platinum drugs react with DNA they form various types of intrastrand and interstrand cross-links (CLs). One class of new antitumor platinum compounds comprises bifunctional Pt(II) compounds based on the dinuclear or trinuclear geometry of leaving ligands. It has been shown that the DNA-binding modes of dinuclear or trinuclear bifunctional Pt(II) agents are distinct from those of mononuclear cisplatin, forming markedly more intramolecular interstrand CLs. However, at least two types of DNA interstrand cross-linking by bifunctional Pt(II) complexes can be envisaged, depending on whether the platinum complex coordinates to the bases in one DNA molecule (intramolecular interstrand CLs) or in two different DNA duplexes (interduplex CLs). We hypothesized that at least some antitumor bifunctional poly(di/tri)nuclear complexes could fulfill the requirements placed on interduplex DNA cross-linkers. To test this hypothesis we studied the interduplex cross-linking capability of a representative of antitumor polynuclear agents, namely, dinuclear Pt(II) complex [{trans-PtCl(NH(3))(2)}(2)-μ-{trans-(H(2)N(CH(2))(6)NH(2)(CH(2))(2)NH(2)(CH(2))(6)NH(2))}](4+) (BBR3535). The investigations were conducted under molecular crowding conditions mimicking environmental conditions in the cellular nucleus, namely, in medium containing ethanol, which is a commonly used crowding agent. We found with the aid of native agarose gel electrophoresis that the DNA interduplex cross-linking efficiency of BBR3535 under molecular crowding conditions was remarkable: the frequency of these CLs was 54%. In contrast, the interduplex cross-linking efficiency of mononuclear cisplatin or transplatin was markedly lower (approximately 40-fold or 18-fold, respectively). We suggest that the production of interduplex CLs in addition to other DNA intramolecular adducts may provide polynuclear Pt(II) compounds with a wider spectrum of cytotoxicity.

• MeSH
• DNA Adducts chemistry   metabolism   MeSH
• DNA chemistry   metabolism   MeSH
• Intercalating Agents chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Neoplasms drug therapy   MeSH
• Organoplatinum Compounds chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Antineoplastic Agents chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Cross-Linking Reagents chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• DNA Adducts MeSH
• DNA MeSH
• Intercalating Agents MeSH
• Organoplatinum Compounds MeSH
• Antineoplastic Agents MeSH
• Cross-Linking Reagents MeSH

A combination of biophysical, biochemical, and computational techniques was used to delineate mechanistic differences between the platinum-acridine hybrid agent [PtCl(en)(L)](NO(3))(2) (complex 1, en = ethane-1,2-diamine, L = 1-[2-(acridin-9-ylamino)ethyl]-1,3-dimethylthiourea) and a considerably more potent second-generation analogue containing L' = N-[2-(acridin-9-ylamino)ethyl]-N-methylpropionamidine (complex 2). Calculations at the density functional theory level provide a rationale for the binding preference of both complexes for guanine-N7 and the relatively high level of adenine adducts observed for compound 1. A significant rate enhancement is observed for binding of the amidine-based complex 2 with DNA compared with the thiourea-based prototype 1. Studies conducted with chemical probes and on the bending and unwinding of model duplex DNA suggest that adducts of complex 2 perturb B-form DNA more severely than complex 1, however, without denaturing the double strand and significantly less than cisplatin. Circular and linear dichroism spectroscopies and viscosity measurements suggest that subtle differences exist between the intercalation modes and adduct geometries of the two complexes. The adducts formed by complex 2 most efficiently inhibit transcription of the damaged DNA by RNA polymerase II. Not only do complexes 1 and 2 cause less distortion to DNA than cisplatin, they also do not compromise the thermodynamic stability of the modified duplex. This leads to a decreased or negligible affinity of HMG domain proteins for the adducts formed by either Pt-acridine complex. In a DNA repair synthesis assay the lesions formed by complex 2 were repaired less efficiently than those formed by complex 1. These significant differences in DNA adduct formation, structure, and recognition between the two acridine complexes and cisplatin help to elucidate why compound 2 is highly active in cisplatin-resistant, repair proficient cancer cell lines.

• MeSH
• DNA Adducts chemistry   MeSH
• Acridines chemistry   metabolism   pharmacology   MeSH
• Amidines chemistry   metabolism   pharmacology   MeSH
• DNA, B-Form chemistry   metabolism   MeSH
• Cisplatin analogs & derivatives   chemistry   metabolism   pharmacology   MeSH
• DNA chemistry   metabolism   MeSH
• Transcription, Genetic drug effects   MeSH
• HeLa Cells MeSH
• Intercalating Agents chemistry   metabolism   pharmacology   MeSH
• Kinetics MeSH
• Nucleic Acid Conformation drug effects   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• DNA Repair drug effects   MeSH
• Organoplatinum Compounds chemistry   metabolism   pharmacology   MeSH
• Protein Isoforms metabolism   MeSH
• HMGB1 Protein metabolism   MeSH
• Antineoplastic Agents chemistry   metabolism   pharmacology   MeSH
• Drug Design MeSH
• Thiourea chemistry   metabolism   pharmacology   MeSH
• Structure-Activity Relationship MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Comparative Study MeSH
• Names of Substances
• DNA Adducts MeSH
• Acridines MeSH
• Amidines MeSH
• DNA, B-Form MeSH
• Cisplatin MeSH
• DNA MeSH
• Intercalating Agents MeSH
• Organoplatinum Compounds MeSH
• Protein Isoforms MeSH
• HMGB1 Protein MeSH
• Antineoplastic Agents MeSH
• Thiourea MeSH