Travagliante Gabriele, Gaeta Massimiliano, Purrello Roberto, D'Urso Alessandro
Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Catania, Viale Andrea Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy.
Molecules. 2025 Mar 28;30(7):1512. doi: 10.3390/molecules30071512.
Porphyrins are highly conjugated macrocyclic compounds that possess exceptional photophysical and chemical properties, progressively establishing themselves as versatile tools in the structural investigation of biomolecules. This review explores their role as chiroptical conformational probes, focusing on their interactions with DNA and RNA. The planar electron rich structure of porphyrin macrocycle that promote π-π interactions, their easy functionalization at the meso positions, and their capacity to coordinate metal ions enable their use in probing nucleic acid structures with high sensitivity. Emphasis is placed on their induced circular dichroism (ICD) signals in the Soret region, which provide precise diagnostic insights into binding mechanisms and molecular interactions. The review examines the interactions of porphyrins with various DNA structures, including B-, Z-, and A-DNA, single-stranded DNA, and G-quadruplex DNA, as well as less common structures like I-motif and E-motif DNA. The last part highlights recent advancements in the use of porphyrins to probe RNA structures, emphasizing binding behaviors and chiroptical signals observed with RNA G-quadruplexes, as well as the challenges in interpreting ICD signals with other RNA motifs due to their inherent structural complexity.
卟啉是高度共轭的大环化合物，具有卓越的光物理和化学性质，逐渐成为生物分子结构研究中的多功能工具。本综述探讨了它们作为手性光学构象探针的作用，重点关注它们与DNA和RNA的相互作用。卟啉大环的平面富电子结构促进了π-π相互作用，它们在中位位置易于功能化，以及它们配位金属离子的能力，使得它们能够用于高灵敏度地探测核酸结构。重点是它们在Soret区域的诱导圆二色性（ICD）信号，这些信号为结合机制和分子相互作用提供了精确的诊断见解。该综述研究了卟啉与各种DNA结构的相互作用，包括B型、Z型和A型DNA、单链DNA以及G-四链体DNA，以及不太常见的结构，如I-基序和E-基序DNA。最后一部分强调了使用卟啉探测RNA结构的最新进展，重点介绍了在RNA G-四链体中观察到的结合行为和手性光学信号，以及由于其固有的结构复杂性而在解释其他RNA基序的ICD信号时面临的挑战。
