Molybdenocene-oligonucleotide binding study at physiological pH using NMR spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry

Binding interaction studies of antitumor molybdenocene dichloride (1) and self-complementary oligonucleotide CGCATATATGCG were accomplished using NMR spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry in order to elucidate possible interactions between DNA and the organometallic species at physiological pH in buffer solutions. NMR spectroscopic studies showed molybdenocene binds the oligonucleotide weakly and has no preference for guanine over adenine bases. Cyclic voltammetry corroborates in a quantitative manner that the interaction in fact is weak, showing only 4.9% of molybdenocene-oligoncleotide binding. This implicates that DNA cannot be completely ruled out as a target place but the mechanism is more complex than cis-platin.