Interaction of Metallo- and free base meso-tetrakis(N-methylpyridium-4-yl)porphyrin with a G-quadruplex: Effect of the central metal ions

•The interaction of metallo- and non-metallo-porphyrins and 5′G2T2G2TGTG2T2G2 G-quadruplex was investigated.•None of the tested porphyrins intercalates to G-quadruplex.•Both ZnTMPyP and VOTMPyP were able to stabilize the G-quadruplex with higher efficiency for ZnTMPyP.

The effects of the central metal ion on complex formation between meso-tetrakis(N-methylpyridium-4-yl)porphyrin (TMPyP) and the thrombin-binding aptamer G-quadruplex, 5′G2T2G2TGTG2T2G2, were examined in this study. The central metal ions were vanadium and zinc. At a [porphyrin]/[G-quadruplex] ratio of less than one, the absorption and CD spectra were unaffected by the mixing ratio for all three porphyrins, suggesting that the binding mode is homogeneous. Relatively small changes in the absorption spectrum when forming the complexes with the G-quadruplex, the positive CD signal, and the large accessibility of the I− quencher, suggested that all these porphyrins are not intercalated between the G-quartet. Stabilization of the G-quadruplex by ZnTMPyP was most effective. The effect of VOTMPyP on G-quadruplex stabilization was moderate, whereas TMPyP slightly destabilized G-quadruplex. From this observation, the involvement of the ligation of one G-quartet component to the central metal ion in G-quadruplex stabilization by metallo-TMPyP is suggested

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