Selective c-MYC G4 DNA recognition based on a fluorescent light-up probe with disaggregation-induced emission characteristics

J Mater Chem B. 2022 Oct 5;10(38):7772-7779. doi: 10.1039/d2tb01316a.

Abstract

The c-MYC promoter is well-known as an important oncogene, the overexpression of which leads to ∼80% of all solid tumors. The four-stranded G4 present in the c-MYC promoter has been shown to play a pivotal role in the regulation of c-MYC transcription. Accordingly, strategies employed for c-MYC G4 DNA sensing have implications for the detection of many human pathologies. However, achieving specificity toward c-MYC G4 over other structurally similar G4s is a challenging task. Here, a supramolecular strategy that relies on the recognition-driven disaggregation of a novel BODIPY probe is outlined. The synthesized probe remained almost non-fluorescent in aqueous media in the aggregation state. Of all the tested G4 and non-G4 DNAs, only c-MYC triggered probe disaggregation and induced a significant increase in fluorescence intensity. The binding details discussed here suggest the basis for the recognition of a particular G4 structure, thus opening up a new way for the design and development of sequence-selective supramolecular G4 probes with desired properties.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Coloring Agents
  • DNA / chemistry
  • G-Quadruplexes*
  • Humans
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic

Substances

  • Coloring Agents
  • DNA