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PubMedDate not supplied

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of mitomycin-tethered phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides.

Mitomycin C (1) is the prototypical bioreductive alkylating agent. Studies have shown that mitomycin C and its derivatives selectively alkylate guanine residues within di- and trinucleotide DNA sequences. This investigation sought to improve the selective DNA bonding properties of the mitomycins by coupling them with antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. Two procedures were developed that allowed the attachment of a phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide containing a hexylamino spacer at the 5' terminus with a C(10)-activated mitomycin. In the first procedure, decarbamoylation of 1 (NaOCH3/ benzene) afforded 10-decarbamoylmitomycin C (10), which was treated with either dimethyl sulfate or methylthiochloroformate and base to yield 10-decarbamoylporfiromycin (11) and N(1a)-[(methylthio)-carbonyl]-10-decarbamoylmitomycin C (12), respectively. Activation of the C(10) site in 11 and 12 with 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole or with 1,1'-thiocarbonyldiimidazole provided the N(1a)-substituted mitomycin 10-decarbamoyl-10-O-carbonylimidazoles (5, 7) and 10-decarbamoyl-10-O-thiocarbonylimidazoles (6, 8), respectively. Compounds 5-8 were reacted with glycine methyl ester hydrochloride (17) and base in both methylene chloride and aqueous buffered solutions to determine the ease and efficiency in which these C(10)-activated mitomycin derivatives coupled to amines. It was found that 5-8 all reacted with 17 in methylene chloride to give the coupled products 18-21 but that improved amine coupling yields in water were observed for the 10-decarbamoyl-10-O-thiocarbonylimidazoles 6 and 8 as compared with the 10-decarbamoyl-10-O-carbonylimidazoles 5 and 7. This finding led to the coupling of the phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide, H2N(CH2)6-P(S)(OH)-GGCCCCGTG-GTGGCTCCAT (22) to 8. Compound 22 complemented a 19-base sequence in the translation initiation region of the human A-raf-1 gene. Use of excess 8 (28 equiv) with 22 gave only a 36% yield of the coupled product 23, which proved difficult to separate from 22. In the second procedure, phosphorothioate oligodexynucleotides that contained a hexylamino spacer at the 5'termini were coupled to 10-des(carbamoyloxy)-10-isothiocyanatoporfiromycin (9). Compound 9 was prepared in four steps from 11. Mesylation (methanesulfonyl chloride/pyridine) of 11 gave the C(10) mesylate 13, which was then treated with NaN3 (dimethylformamide, 90 degrees C) to give 10-des(carbamoyloxy)-10-azidoporfiromycin (14). Catalytic reduction (PtO2, H2) of 14 in pyridine afforded C(10) amine 15. Treatment of 15 with di-2-pyridyl thionocarbonate provided the desired 10-des(carbamoyloxy)-10-isothiocyanatoporfiromycin (9). Compound 9 readily coupled with 17 and base in both methylene chloride and aqueous buffered solutions to give 25. Use of the 5'hexylaminophosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides 32-35 in place of 17 gave the conjugated adducts 28-31, respectively, in a 12% to near-quantitative yield. The products were purified by semipreparative HPLC. Antisense agents 28-31 were designed to target a 30-base-long region from the coding region of the human FGFR1 gene. One adduct, 29, reduced the number of FGFR1 receptors in human aortic smooth cells for bFGF on the cell surface, which suggested down-regulation of FGFR1 gene expression. Further, 29 inhibited cultured human aortic smooth muscle cell proliferation and was less cytotoxic than porfiromycin (2). The biological assay data suggest that the phosphorothioate oligodexynucleotide porfiromycin conjugates may be more target selective and less toxic than either mitomycin or porfiromycin and thus be promising therapeutic agents.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed2000

Metal interactions with a GAAA RNA tetraloop characterized by (31)P NMR and phosphorothioate substitutions.

A metal site in a 5'-GAAA-3' tetraloop, a stabilizing and phylogenetically conserved RNA motif, is explored using (31)P NMR spectroscopy and phosphorothioate modifications. Similar to previous reports [Legault, P., and Pardi, A. (1994) J. Magn. Reson., Ser. B 103, 82-86], the (31)P NMR spectrum of a 12-nucleotide stem-loop sequence 5'-GGCCGAAAGGCC-3' exhibits resolved features from each of the phosphodiester linkages. Titration with Mg(2+) results in distinct shifts of a subset of these (31)P features, which are assigned to phosphodiesters 5' to A6, A7, and G5. Titration with Co(NH(3))(6)(3+) causes only a slight upfield shift in the A6 feature, suggesting that changes caused by Mg(2+) are due to inner-sphere metal-phosphate coordination. R(p)-Phosphorothioate substitutions introduced enzymatically 5' to each of the three A residues of the tetraloop provide well-resolved (31)P NMR features that are observed to shift in the presence of Cd(2+) but not Mg(2+), again consistent with a metal-phosphate site. Analysis of (31)P NMR spectra using the sequence 5'-GGGCGAAAGUCC-3' with single phosphorothioate substitutions in the loop region, separated into R(p) and S(p) diastereomers, provides evidence for an inner-sphere interaction with the phosphate 5' to A7 but outer-sphere or structural effects that cause perturbations 5' to A6. Introduction of an R(p)-phosphorothioate 5' to A7 results in a distinct (31)P NMR spectrum, consistent with thermodynamic studies reported in the accompanying paper that indicate a unique structure caused by this substitution. On the basis of these results and existing structural information, a metal site in the 5'-GAAA-3' tetraloop is modeled using restrained molecular dynamics simulations.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy↗
PubMed2000

Metal-phosphate interactions in the hammerhead ribozyme observed by 31P NMR and phosphorothioate substitutions.

The hammerhead ribozyme is a catalytic RNA that requires divalent metal cations for activity under moderate ionic strength. Two important sites that are proposed to bind metal ions in the hammerhead ribozyme are the A9/G10.1 site, located at the junction between stem II and the conserved core, and the scissile phosphate (P1.1). (31)P NMR spectroscopy in conjunction with phosphorothioate substitutions is used in this study to investigate these putative metal sites. The (31)P NMR feature of a phosphorothioate appears in a unique spectral window and can be monitored for changes upon addition of metals. Addition of 1-2 equiv of Cd(2+) to the hammerhead with an A9-S(Rp) or A9-S(S)(Rp) substitution results in a 2-3 ppm upfield shift of the (31)P NMR resonance. In contrast, the P1.1-S(Rp) and P1.1-S(Sp) (31)P NMR features shift slightly and in opposite directions, with a total change in delta of </=0.6 ppm with addition of up to 10 equiv of Cd(2+). No significant shifts are observed for an RNA.RNA duplex with a single, internal phosphorothioate modification upon addition of Cd(2+). Data obtained using model compounds including diethyl phosphate/thiophosphate, AMP, and AMPS, show that a Cd(2+)-S interaction yields an upfield shift for the (31)P NMR resonance, even in the case of a weak coordination such as with diethyl thiophosphate. Taken together, these data predict that Cd(2+) has a high affinity for the A9 site and suggest that there is flexibility in metal coordination within the binding pocket. Cd(2+) interactions with the cleavage site P1.1-S positions are weaker and appear to be stereospecific. These data have implications for mechanisms that have been proposed to explain the influence of metal ions on hammerhead ribozyme activity. These experiments also show the potential utility of (31)P NMR spectroscopy in conjunction with phosphorothioates as a probe for metal binding sites in nucleic acids.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1994

Phosphorothioate oligonucleotide-directed triple helix formation.

Phosphorothioate oligodeoxyribonucleotides were tested for their ability to recognize double-helical DNA in two distinct triple helix motifs. Purine-rich oligonucleotides containing a diastereomeric mixture of phosphorothioate or stereoregular (all RP) phosphorothioate linkages are shown to form triple-helical complexes with affinities similar to those of the corresponding natural phosphodiester oligonucleotides. In contrast, pyrimidine-rich phosphorothioate oligonucleotides containing a mixture of diastereomeric or stereoregular (all RP) linkages do not bind to double-helical DNA with measurable affinity. These observations have implications for triple helix structure and for biological applications.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1983

Assignment of resonances in the phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of poly[d(A-T)] from phosphorothioate substitution.

Two phosphorothioate analogues of poly[d(A$-T)] have been synthesized enzymatically. In one, poly[d(A$-T)], dTMP is replaced by thymidine 5'-O-phosphorothioate; in the other, poly[d(T$-A)], dAMP is replaced by 2'-deoxyadenosine 5'-O-phosphorothioate. The 31P NMR spectrum of poly[d-(A-T)] in solutions at low salt concentration shows two resonances at 51.80 and -4.25 ppm relative to trimethyl phosphate. The corresponding values for poly[d(T$-A)] are 51.51 and -4.43 ppm. These data allow the assignment of the downfield resonance at -4.23 ppm in poly[d(A-T)] to the phosphate group of d(TpA) and the resonance at -4.41 ppm to that of d(ApT). Thus, strong evidence is provided for a repeating dinucleotide structure. A comparison of the 31P NMR spectra of the various polymers in solutions of 2 M CsF reveals that both resonances are shifted upfield by approximately 0.9 ppm in the case of the phosphorothioates and by 0.2 or 0.4 ppm in the case of the phosphates. An upfield shift of about 0.18 ppm can also be observed for the two corresponding dinucleoside monophosphates. Thus, the upfield shift induced by high concentrations of CsF is not specific for the polymer backbone.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed2004

Effect of phosphorothioate chirality on i-motif structure and stability.

The P-chiral stereo-defined phosphorothioate groups have been introduced into all of the four internucleotide positions of d(T(PS1)C(PS2)C(PS3)C(PS4)C) (PSn = phosphorothioate group), and among the 16 possible diastereomers of PS-d(TC(4)), 10 stereomers have been synthesized to investigate the effects of the sense of the P-chirality upon the structure and stability of the i-motif structure. The temperature dependence of circular dichroism spectra showed that the melting temperature (T(m)) of the [all R(p)]-PS-d(TC(4)) i-motifs was 31 degrees C, identical to that of the parent oligomer, PO-d(TC(4)), while that of the [all S(p)]-PS-d(TC(4)) i-motif was largely decreased by 11 degrees C. Single substitution of R(p) with S(p) caused a decrease of T(m) by 3-4 degrees C at positions of PS1, PS2, and PS3 and by 1 degrees C at that of PS4, showing the additive property of the T(m) suppression. The comparison of the NOESY spectra between [all R(p)]-PS-, [all S(p)]-PS-, and PO-d(TC(4)) showed that intraresidual H6-H3' and H2' '-H4' NOE cross-peaks of the all S(p) isomer are weaker than those of the all R(p) isomer and PO-d(TC(4)), indicating the change in the C3'-endo conformation and glycosidic bond angle. The structural alternation for the i-motif formed by [all S(p)]-PS-d(TC(4)) is also suggested by the chemical shift differences of C2/C3/C4 H2''and H4' protons from those of [all R(p)]-PS-d(TC(4)) and PO-d(TC(4)). These results suggest that the S(p) configuration at phosphorus of the phosphorothioate linkage changes the sugar-phosphorothioate conformation and intermolecular interaction in the narrow groove, leading to the destabilization of the i-motif structure.

Circular Dichroism↗
PubMed1999

Structure and stability of the consecutive stereoregulated chiral phosphorothioate DNA duplex.

The duplex structures of the stereoregulated phosphorothioate DNAs, [R(p),R(p)]- and [S(p),S(p)]-[d(GC(ps)T(ps)ACG)] (ps, phosphorothioate; PS-DNA), with their complementary RNA have been investigated by combined use of (1)H NMR and restrained molecular dynamics calculation. Compared to those obtained for the unmodified duplex structures (PO-DNA.RNA), the NOE cross-peak intensities are virtually identical for the PS-DNA.RNA hybrid duplexes. The structural analysis on the basis of the NOE restraints reveals that all of the three DNA.RNA duplexes take a A-form conformation and that there is no significant difference in the base stacking for the DNA.RNA hybrid duplexes. On the other hand, the NOE cross-peak intensities of the protons around the central T(ps)A step of the PS-DNA.DNA duplexes are apparently different from those of PO-DNA. DNA. The chemical shifts of H8/6 and H1' at the T(ps)A step are also largely different among PS-DNA.DNAs and PO-DNA.DNA, suggesting that the DNA.DNA structure is readily changed by the introduction of the phosphorothioate groups to the central T(p)A step. The structure calculations indicate that all of these DNA.DNA duplexes are B-form although there exist some small differences in helical parameters between the [R(p),R(p)]- and [S(p),S(p)]PS-DNA.DNA duplexes. The melting temperatures (T(m)) were determined for all of the duplexes by plotting the chemical shift change of isolated peaks as a function of temperature. For the PS-DNA.RNA hybrid duplexes, the [S(p),S(p)] isomer is less stable than the [R(p),R(p)] isomer while this trend is reversed for the PS-DNA.DNA duplexes. Consequently, although the PS-DNA.RNA duplexes take the similar A-form structure, the duplex stability is different between PS-DNA.RNA duplexes. The stability of the DNA.RNA duplexes may not be governed by the A-form structure itself but by some other factors such as the hydration around the phosphorothioate backbone, although the T(m) difference of the DNA.DNA duplexes could be explained by the structural factor.

DNA↗
PubMed2000

Phosphorothioate substitution can substantially alter RNA conformation.

Phosphorothioate substitution-interference experiments, routinely used to stereospecifically identify phosphoryl oxygen sites that participate in RNA-ligand binding and RNA-directed catalysis, rest in their interpretation on the untested assumption that substitution does not alter the conformation of the modified molecule from its biologically active state. Using NMR spectroscopy, we have tested this assumption by determining the structural effect of stereospecific phosphorothioate substitution at five positions in an RNA hairpin containing the binding site for bacteriophage MS2 capsid protein. At most sites, substitution has little or no effect, causing minor perturbations in the phosphate backbone and increasing the stacking among nucleotides in the hairpin loop. At one site, however, phosphorothioate substitution causes an unpaired adenine necessary for formation of the capsid protein-RNA complex to loop out of the RNA helix into the major groove. These results indicate that phosphorothioate substitution can substantially alter the conformation of RNA at positions of irregular secondary structure, complicating the use of substitution-interference experiments to study RNA structure and function.

Adenine↗
PubMed1990

S-[2-[(2'-carbamoylethyl)amino]ethyl] phosphorothioate and related compounds as potential antiradiation agents.

A reinvestigation of the radiation protection activity of S-[2-[(2'-carbamylethyl)amino]ethyl] lithium hydrogen phosphorothioate (4a) revealed that this compound possessed good (70% protection at a dose of 600 mg/kg) activity. The thione and imino bioisosteres of 4, S-[2-(2'-thiocarbamylethylamino)ethyl] lithium hydrogen phosphorothioate (13a) and S-[2-(2'-amidinoethylamino)ethyl] phosphorothioic acid (18b) showed 100% protection at doses of 300 and 150 mg/kg, respectively. The N-methyl (4b) and tert-butyl (4c) analogues of amide 4a, the N-methyl (13b) analogue of the thioamide 13a, the N-methyl (18a) analogue of amidine (18b), and the cyclic amidine S-[2-[[2'-(4,5-dihydroimidozoyl)ethyl]amino]ethyl] lithium hydrogen phosphorothioate (21) all showed 80% protection at the highest dose tested.

Amifostine↗
PubMed1999

Indolyl-oxazaphosphorine Precursors for Stereoselective Synthesis of Phosphite Triesters and Dithymidinyl Phosphorothioates.

Several novel chiral indolyl-oxazaphosphorines 7 were synthesized, and their potential as precursors to chiral phosphorothioates was evaluated. Reaction of 7 with a thymidine derivative gave phosphite triester 8 with a large degree of stereoselectivity. Sulfurization with Beaucage's reagent provided phosphorothioate triesters 9. The chiral auxiliary 9b containing a cyano group could be easily removed with aqueous ammonia to form dithymidinyl phosphorothioate in more than 97% diastereomeric excess. The chiral indolyl-oxazaphosphorines 7 are a new class of precursors for stereoselective synthesis of phosphorothioates.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1989

Regulation of viral expression of human immunodeficiency virus in vitro by an antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide against rev (art/trs) in chronically infected cells.

In this report, we demonstrate the sequence-specific suppression of viral expression in T cells chronically infected with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1), using antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides. As a target for antisense intervention, we used the HIV-1 gene rev, which is essential for viral replication and regulates the expression of virion proteins, in part, by affecting the splicing of the viral mRNA. A phosphorothioate oligomer complementary to the initiation sequence of HIV-1 rev had a significant and selective inhibitory effect on the production of several viral proteins in chronically HIV-1-infected T cells and drastically reduced the unspliced (genomic) viral mRNA transcripts, with relative sparing of smaller (spliced) transcripts. By contrast, the antisense sequence with unmodified normal phosphodiester linkages as well as phosphorothioate oligomers containing sense, random, homopolymeric sequences, or antisense sequence with N3-methylthymidine residues did not have an inhibitory effect on viral expression. Thus, sequence specificity and nuclease resistance were critical for the anti-viral-gene regulatory effect of the antisense molecules. The altered HIV-1 mRNA profile induced by the antisense phosphorothioate oligomer suggests that the mechanism for the inhibition of viral expression is due to an interference with the regulatory gene, rev, by translation arrest.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Toxicity and toxicokinetics of a phosphorothioate oligonucleotide against the c-myc oncogene in cynomolgus monkeys.

A 2-week toxicity and toxicokinetic study of a 15-mer phosphorothioate oligonucleotide, INX-3280, against the c-myc oncogene was performed in cynomolgus monkeys. As this oligonucleotide readily adopts an aggregate structure, a quadruplex, which may be associated with adverse physiologic effects, this study was performed using INX-3280 that had been converted to its monomeric form. Animals received intravenous (i.v.) infusions of monomeric INX-3280 three times per week for 2 weeks at doses of 3 or 15 mg/kg per administration. The monkeys were examined for clinical signs: changes in hematology, serum chemistry, coagulation, and urinalysis parameters; complement activation; macroscopic findings at necropsy; and histopathologic alterations. In addition, the toxicokinetics of INX-3280 were evaluated, using a validated HPLC assay, after the first and last (sixth) doses. No treatment-related clinical signs of any adverse effects were observed, and there were no test article-related changes in hematology, serum chemistry, or complement activation parameters. The only alteration in clinical pathology parameters was a minor (30%) prolongation of the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), reflecting slight inhibition of the intrinsic coagulation pathway, which was less than that reported with other oligonucleotides given at similar doses. Treatment-related histopathologic alterations consisted of characteristic accumulation of basophilic material in the cytoplasm of tubular epithelial cells in the kidney, resident macrophages in the lymph nodes, and Kupffer cells in the liver. These changes were graded as minimal in all cases. The basophilic material is believed to reflect accumulation of the oligonucleotide or metabolites or both. The pharmacokinetic parameters of INX-3280 were identical on the first and sixth administrations and were similar to those reported for other phosphorothioate oligonucleotides. Maximum concentration (Cmax) values for INX-3280 (101-119 microg/ml) were in excess of the threshold plasma concentrations reported to trigger complement activation by phosphorothioate oligonucleotides. It is concluded that the safety profile of monomeric INX-3280 in cynomolgus monkeys is quite favorable relative to the known effects of other phosphorothioate oligonucleotides, particularly with respect to the blood level-related toxicities of this class of compounds, including complement activation and inhibition of coagulation. This study found no toxicities that were expected to be clinically significant.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Chimeric RNA and 2'-O, 4'-C-ethylene-bridged nucleic acids have stronger activity than phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides in induction of exon 19 skipping in dystrophin mRNA.

Antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides against exon 19 of the dystrophin gene have been shown to induce exon 19 skipping and promote the expression of internally deleted dystrophin by correcting the translational reading frame. Because phosphorothioate oligonucleotides are associated with a variety of toxic nonantisense effects, several modifications of nucleic acid have been introduced to alleviate this toxicity. Recently, a 2'-O, 4'-C-ethylene-bridged nucleic acid (ENA trade mark, Sankyo Lifetech Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) was reported to have high affinity to complementary RNA strands and be resistant to nuclease digestion. Here, we examined the ability of this modified nucleic acid to induce exon skipping. Oligonucleotides having the same sequence as the phosphorothioate oligonucleotides but with some stretches of modified backbone (2'-O-methyl RNA with an ENA5-mer at the 5'-end and 3'-end) (RNA/ENA chimera) were transfected into myocytes, and the expressed dystrophin mRNA was analyzed. The RNA/ENA chimera induced exon 19 skipping in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. Remarkably, the exon 19-skipping activity of the RNA/ENA chimera was more than 40 times stronger than that of the corresponding conventional phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide. This is the first report of such strong activity of an RNA/ENA chimera in the induction of exon skipping in the dystrophin gene. This new technology will allow the development of less toxic antisense drugs, making long-term therapy possible.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Non-sequence-specific inhibition of transferrin receptor expression in HL-60 leukemia cells by phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides.

A series of phosphodiester and phosphorothioate antisense oligodeoxynucleotides were synthesized against the human transferrin receptor (TfR). The phosphorothioate analogs exhibited marked biologic efficacy in culture, as assessed by inhibition of surface TfR content and HL-60 cell growth, whereas their unmodified phosphodiester counterparts were ineffective. Phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides were more resistant to hydrolysis by serum and cellular nucleases and were more readily taken up by cells than phosphodiesters, thus providing a partial explanation for the differences in biologic activity. A length effect was observed, with antisense 30-mers exhibiting greater TfR inhibitory activity than 17-mers. The degree of receptor inhibition observed, however, was not sequence dependent, suggesting that the phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides may have pleiotropic activities in eukaryotic cells in addition to inhibiting gene expression by classic antisense complementary binding to mRNA.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Cellular uptake and subcellular distribution of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides into cultured cells.

A phosphorothioate oligonucleotide that has been employed to inhibit HIV-1 viral expression in chronically infected H9 cells was examined for cellular uptake and subcellular distribution. The relationship between extracellular oligonucleotide concentration and the distribution and accumulation into subcellular organelles is important to the design, potential side effects, and understanding of a therapeutically useful antisense oligonucleotide. These studies employed uptake of both 35S- and fluorescence-labeled phosphorothioate oligonucleotides. Experiments with V79, HeLa, H9, and fresh human peripheral blood monocytes indicate that accumulations of oligonucleotide inside cells exceeds the concentration of oligonucleotide in culture media by over 100 times following 1 h of exposure at 37 degrees C. Uptake is more efficient at low concentrations, suggesting a saturable process. The total oligonucleotide that remains in cells begins to reach a plateau after 45-60 min, indicating either that efflux pathways exist or that uptake is saturable. Subcellular fractionation studies with 35S-labeled phosphorothioate demonstrate the oligonucleotide is sequestered into both the nuclei and the mitochondria of cultured HeLa cells in a time-dependent manner. The subcellular fractionation was examined with fluorescence-labeled phosphorothioate by both confocal and fluorescence microscopy, which confirmed the rate and localization of oligonucleotide into cultured cells. Finally, cellular uptake is not uniform for all cells in a nonsynchronous culture.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Use of partially phosphorothioated "antisense" oligodeoxynucleotides for sequence-dependent modulation of hematopoiesis in culture.

To distinguish between sequence-dependent effects and non-specific cytotoxicity of phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotides (AS-oligos), we introduced AS-oligos blocking expression of 2Hs, the Homo sapiens cell division controller cdc2 kinase, its hematopoietically expressed homolog CHED, and the acetylcholine-hydrolyzing enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE) into primary murine bone marrow (BM) culture. Antisense oligonucleotides were fully phosphorothioated (Ts) or prepared with three phosphorothioate groups at their 3' termini (S3). Each of these oligos could cause reductions in colony counts either as a result of its sequence-dependent biological capacity or due to sequence-independent cytotoxicity. The Ts and S3 forms of the matching sense oligo, S-BCHE, served for comparison. The S3 forms of AS-2Hs, AS-BCHE, and S-BCHE caused more limited drops in colony counts than their Ts counterparts, reflecting lower cytotoxicity. When incubated with electroblotted BM proteins, Ts but not S3 oligos intensively labeled two protein bands. Moreover, 5'-end 32P-labeled (Ts) S-BCHE labeled nuclear proteins in situ in small, mitotic cells, suggesting correlation between oligo-protein interactions and the sequence-independent cytotoxicity of Ts AS-oligos. Extension of the apparently nontoxic AS-CHED by two adenosine residues at the 3' end, creating a potential for intramolecular hydrogen bond formation, resulted in increased toxicity. These findings recommend the use of nonlooped, partially phosphorothioated oligos for the modulation of hematopoiesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Telomerase as a potential molecular target to study G-quartet phosphorothioates.

Inhibition of gene expression by phosphorothioate oligomers is complex and involves specific and nonspecific mechanisms. Oligomers that contain a G-quartet elicit distinct effects in vitro and in vivo that are dependent on the context of the G-quartet's occurrence within a sequence. The enzyme telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein, has a stretch of C residues in the RNA template, which are used to add terminal dG-rich telomeric repeats to the ends of chromosomes. Some but not all phosphorothioates containing a G-quartet, depending on the context of occurrence, inhibited telomerase activity in vitro. Non-G-quartet phosphorothioates did not inhibit this activity. Activities of control enzymes, such as reverse transcriptase or taq polymerase, were not affected by the G-quartet oligomers. Neither phosphodiester nor chimeric oligomers of a G-quartet-containing oligomer were as potent inhibition of telomerase activity as phosphorothioate oligomers. These results may provide a molecular target to study the effects of G-quartet-containing oligomers.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Stability of stereoregular oligo(nucleoside phosphorothioate)s in human plasma: diastereoselectivity of plasma 3'-exonuclease.

The stability of stereoregular oligo(nucleoside phosphorothioate)s (PS-oligos) in human plasma has been studied. 3'-Exonuclease present in human plasma appeared to be RP specific, that is, it cleaves internucleotide phosphorothioate linkages of [RP]-configuration and not those of [SP]-configuration. Therefore, PS-oligos containing all phosphorothioate internucleotide linkages of [RP]-configuration [RP-PS-oligos]) are more effectively degraded by the enzyme than PS-oligos prepared via nonstereo-controlled methods (so-called random mixture of diastereomers [Mix-PS-oligos]), whereas oligo(nucleoside phosphorothioate)s of [S(P)]-configuration remain intact. The enzyme activity depends on the sequence of nucleobases. The presence of deoxycytidine units (three or more residues) at the 3'-end of PS-oligo substrate significantly inhibits the enzyme activity.

Drug Stability↗