RNA targeting through binding of small molecules: Studies on t-RNA binding by the cytotoxic protoberberine alkaloid coralyne.

Interaction of the protoberberine alkaloid coralyne with t-RNA(phe) was investigated using various biophysical techniques. Results of absorption and fluorescence studies revealed that the alkaloid binds to t-RNA exhibiting positive cooperativity. Isothermal titration calorimetry results suggested that the binding of the alkaloid was predominantly enthalpy driven with a smaller favourable entropy term. A surprisingly large favourable component for non-electrostatic contribution to the binding of coralyne to t-RNA was revealed from salt dependence data and the dissection of the free energy. The alkaloid enhanced the thermal stability of t-RNA and the binding affinity values obtained from optical thermal melting data was in agreement with that from calorimetry. The heat capacity change of -125 cal mol(-1) K(-1) and the observed significant enthalpy-entropy compensation phenomenon confirmed the involvement of multiple weak noncovalent interactions. Circular dichroism studies provided evidence for significant perturbation of the t-RNA structure with concomitant induction of optical activity in the bound achiral alkaloid molecules. Binding isotherms generated from circular dichroic data confirmed the cooperative binding mode of the alkaloid as deduced from spectroscopic data. Docking studies provided further insights into the partially intercalated state of coralyne inside the t-RNA structure. This study presents a complete binding and thermodynamic profile of coralyne interaction to t-RNA.