Several conjugates of metallophthalocyanines with
deoxyribooligonucleotides were synthesized to investigate
sequence-specific modification of DNA by them. Oligonucleotide
parts of these conjugates were responsible for the recognition of
selected complementary sequences on the DNA target.
Metallophthalocyanines were able to induce the DNA modification:
phthalocyanines of Zn(II) and Al(III) were active as
photosensitizers in the generation of singlet oxygen
, while phthalocyanine of Co(II) promoted
DNA oxidation by molecular oxygen through the catalysis of
formation of reactive oxygen species
().
Irradiation of the reaction mixture containing either
Zn(II)- or Al(III)-tetracarboxyphthalocyanine
conjugates of oligonucleotide pd(TCTTCCCA) with light of > 340 nm
wavelength (Hg lamp or He/Ne laser)
resulted in the modification of the 22-nucleotide target
d(TGAATGGGAAGAGGGTCAGGTT). A conjugate of
Co(II)-tetracarboxyphthalocyanine with the oligonucleotide
was found to modify the DNA target in the presence of
and 2-mercaptoethanol or in the presence of H2O2.
Under both sensitized and catalyzed conditions, the nucleotides
were mainly modified, providing evidence that
the reaction proceeded in the double-stranded oligonucleotide.
These results suggest the possible use of
phthalocyanine-oligonucleotide conjugates as novel artificial
regulators of gene expression and therapeutic agents for treatment
of cancer.