Keppler M, Zegrocka O, Strekowski L, Fox K R
Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, UK.
FEBS Lett. 1999 Mar 26;447(2-3):223-6. doi: 10.1016/s0014-5793(99)00284-7.
We have used DNase I footprinting to examine the effect of a novel naphthylquinoline dimer, designed as a triplex-specific bis-intercalator, on the stability of intermolecular DNA triplexes. We find that this compound efficiently promotes triplex formation between the 9-mer oligonucleotide 5'-TTTTTTCTT and its oligopurine duplex target at concentrations as low as 0.1 microM, enhancing the triplex stability by at least 1000-fold. This compound, which is the first reported example of a triplex bis-intercalator, is about 30 times more potent than the simple monofunctional ligand.
