Ribonuclease activity of cationic structures conjugated to lipophilic groups

Cationic compounds containing benzene ring substituted with the bis-quaternary salt of diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) bearing a polymethylene fragment at the bridge positions display ribonuclease activity. Efficacy of the catalysis is affected by geometry of the cationic structures and the size of the attached aliphatic fragment. The cleavage occurs primarily within CA sequences. The compounds do not possess tradition groups participating in the transesterification step of RNA cleavage reaction, therefore a speculative mechanism of cleavage could be inducing a conformational stress on the RNA sugar phosphate backbone providing fragility to phosphodiester bonds.