Interactions of 4,4'-diaminoazobenzene derivatives with telomeric G-quadruplex DNA

The development of small molecules to stabilize the G-quadruplex structure has garnered significant attention for anticancer drug discovery. Herein, we report the synthesis of several 4,4'-diaminoazobenzene derivatives containing different substituent groups and their ability to bind and stabilize telomeric G-quadruplex DNA. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy was performed to characterize the quadruplex topologies, measure stabilization effects, and evaluate their capabilities for conformational photoregulation. 4,4'-Diaminoazobenzene derivatives were found to moderately stabilize quadruplex structures but not affect conformational photoregulation. This work further develops the design and general understanding of the stabilization effects of small molecules with telomeric G-quadruplex DNA.