Intercalator conjugates of pyrimidine locked nucleic acid-modified triplex-forming oligonucleotides: improving DNA binding properties and reaching cellular activities

Triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) are powerful tools to interfere sequence-specifically with DNA-associated biological functions. (A/T,G)-containing TFOs are more commonly used in cells than (T,C)-containing TFOs, especially C-rich sequences; indeed the low intracellular stability of the non-covalent pyrimidine triplexes make the latter less active. In this work we studied the possibility to enhance DNA binding of (T,C)-containing TFOs, aiming to reach cellular activities; to this end, we used locked nucleic acid-modified TFOs (TFO/LNAs) in association with 5′-conjugation of an intercalating agent, an acridine derivative. In vitro a stable triplex was formed with the TFO-acridine conjugate: by SPR measurements at 37°C and neutral pH, the dissociation equilibrium constant was found in the nanomolar range and the triplex half-life ~10 h (50-fold longer compared with the unconjugated TFO/LNA). Moreover to further understand DNA binding of (T,C)-containing TFO/LNAs, hybridization studies were performed at different pH values: triplex stabilization associated with pH decrease was mainly due to a slower dissociation process. Finally, biological activity of pyrimidine TFO/LNAs was evaluated in a cellular context: it occurred at concentrations ~0.1 μM for acridine-conjugated TFO/LNA (or ~2 μM for the unconjugated TFO/LNA) whereas the corresponding phosphodiester TFO was inactive, and it was demonstrated to be triplex-mediated.