Recent developments in sequence selective minor groove DNA effectors

DNA is a well characterized intracellular target but its large size and sequential nature make it an elusive target for selective drug action. Binding of low molecular weight ligands to DNA causes a wide variety of potential biological responses. In this respect the main consideration is given to recent developments in DNA sequence selective binding agents bearing conjugated effectors because of their potential application in diagnosis and treatment of cancers as well as in molecular biology. Recent progress in the development of cross linked lexitropsin oligopeptides and hairpins, which bind selectively to the minor groove of duplex DNA, is discussed. Bis-distamycins and related lexitropsins show inhibitory activity against HIV-1 and HIV-2 integrases at low nanomolar concentrations. Benzoyl nitrogen mustard analogs of lexitropsins are active against a variety of tumor models. Certain of the bis-benzimidazoles show altered DNA sequence preference and bind to DNA at 5'CG and TG sequences rather than at the preferred AT sites of the parent drug. A comparison of bifunctional bizelesin with monoalkylating adozelesin shows that it appears to have an increased sequence selectivity such that monoalkylating compounds react at more than one site but bizelesin reacts only at sites where there are two suitably positioned alkylation sites. Adozelesin, bizelesin and carzelesin are far more potent as cytotoxic agents than cisplatin or doxorubicin. A new class of 1,2,9,9a-tetrahydrocyclo-propa[c]benz[e]indole-4-one (CBI) analogs i.e., CBI-lexitropsin conjugates arising from the latter leads are also discussed.A number of cyclopropylpyrroloindole (CPI) and CBI-lexitropsin conjugates related to CC-1065 alkylate at the N3 position of adenine in the minor groove of DNA in a sequence specific manner, and also show cytotoxicities in the femtomolar range. The cross linking efficiency of PBD dimers is much greater than that of other cross linkers including cisplatin, and melphalan. A new class of PBD-lexitropsin conjugates is also discussed. Certain functional models of the bleomycins (BLMs) show outstanding DNA cleavage activity comparable with that of and positionally distinct from natural BLM.